The Deepest Friendship
by Pixel and Stephanie Forever
Summary: Harry and Hermione come from broken and abusive families. What happens when they meet at a young age and decide to run away together? WARNING - This chapter includes Multi-Bashing and may contain nuts, additives and some types of jam.
1. Running Away

**The Running Away**

Shit that hurt. Despite his young age, Harry James Potter knew many different swear words due to the fact his relations had used them on numerous occasions. From what little he had been told of his life, Harry's parents had been killed in a car crash and he had ended up living with his Aunt, Uncle and Cousin in Surrey. Since he was about three, he had been a slave to the every whim and desire of his relatives who bossed him about. One of the few things he hadn't done until the age of five was the cooking, but that was only making breakfast and lunch. Aunt Petunia would take care of dinner. He lived in a cupboard under the stairs which was dark and had no light. The Dursleys said he was grateful that they had taken him in, but said he shouldn't expect anything else in the way of kindness from them. His clothes were Dudley's old ones, but they hung off him like a liberated prisoner from a Death Camp. The only clothes he did have were those he wore when they went out in public so he didn't show the Dursleys up when they went on trips out. He had only been allowed to go to school when they understood they could face court cases should they keep him at home – home schooling was not an option for them.

"SO YOU COME BACK WITH CHEATING RESULTS?" roared his Uncle Vernon, and the whale of a man punched Harry again.

"But I didn't cheat" Harry whimpered through the tears and pain. "The teacher said I did really well" but this seemed to upset Vernon more.

"You must have switched your name for Dudley's" Vernon fumed. Dudley was well known for being bottom of the class in terms of intelligence. The only thing he was good at was being a fat kid and a complete bully. Before Harry could reply, Vernon picked him up by the front of his uniform and slammed him heavily into the wall over and over again. Then he dropped him so Harry fell a good four feet, and then let his son take over the ritual beating. When it was done, he was thrown into his cupboard and left to suffer in pain.

# # # # #

'_Here we go again'_ thought Hermione Jane Granger as she heard her mother come up the steps. No doubt she was drunk as was her father who was currently lying in a stupor on the floor in the living room. She turned to see the door open and her mother enter what passed for her bedroom.

"You little bitch! You stupid slag. I know what you've done. You think that you are so clever for those teachers of yours, don't you?" her mother slurred her words through the copious amounts of drink. Hermione had recently come top of her class in the end of year tests, but her parents had been angry – and drunk – when she had come home to tell them. Hermione had thought that they might give up the drink if they saw how good she had been at school. But they hadn't been, and had started on her from about three seconds after the girl had stopped talking. This had been going on for over two years – around the same time the adult Grangers had lost their Dental Practice in a lawsuit about an operation that went wrong. They never did anything for themselves but sit around, drink and watch telly all day. All the cooking had to be done by Hermione, and she had to do the cleaning around the house and make sure her parents didn't die from choking on their own sick when she found them passed out. Her only escape was the school or the books she had been allowed to bring back from the library there. For the next fifteen minutes Hermione Granger was subjected to a torturous barrage of verbal abuse by her mother. Hermione often wondered how she had been conceived because, even at her age, she knew that there had to be love involved to get a baby. – minus rapes of course. Then the question arose about how her parents had ever gotten married in the first place. She assumed that they had loved one another before the accidental death. After her mother was finished shouting all kinds of horrid things about her, she was told to clear out the cupboards, take some of the last remaining money and go shopping for more food.

# # # # #

As a still painful Harry walked along the street, the girl a little way ahead of him tripped and fell with the shopping bag she held splitting. Luckily the contents where in packets so nothing was broken. Harry sped up to her and offered his help. The brown and bushy haired girl looked up, smiled and thanked him. Together they picked up the contents and went over to a nearby bench to sort everything out.

"My name is Hermione" said the girl.

"My name is Harry" Harry said.

"Thank you for helping me" Hermione said with another smile.

"That's alright" Harry replied. They looked at each other before Hermione asked Harry if he would like to be her friend. Harry had been amazed about the question, but said that he wouldn't mind being Hermione's friend. When she asked him why he had hesitated, he had said that not many people had wanted to be his friend. Those that had wanted to be one had been 'warned off' by Dudley and his gang. They talked for a while before they split off to their respective homes. They promised to talk to each other the next time they saw each other. They did this for some months until neither of them could take it much longer.

# # # # #

Harry was limping with a sprained ankle, a slightly damaged wrist and a headache the size of China. He had managed to get out of the Dursley's house for a while as they had told him that several important people were coming round and so they didn't want him and his freakishness anywhere near them. Harry had always been puzzled by his relations use of the word. He met Hermione in a quiet corner of the park and was sad to see she was crying.

"What's wrong?" asked Harry.

"Mummy and Daddy said they are going to live abroad" sniffed the girl. "They said they didn't want to keep me around so they are going to sell me to a man I don't know" she added. Harry put his arms around the girl and gave her a hug.

"Why don't you run away from home?" he asked her. "You're smart enough to live on your own. And when you are grown up you can get a nice job and be really, really happy" and Hermione pulled away and looked at him.

"But I'd be all on my own" she said.

"I'll come with you" Harry said at once. "My relatives don't like me very much, and I've always wanted to run away from them. We can do it together as friends" and Hermione stopped crying, sniffed once and then hugged him tightly around the waist.

"But how can we do this?" she asked when Hermione had pulled away. "We don't have any money or anything to take with us" and Harry thought about it for a moment.

"Well we have a month" he said at last. "We can take little bits of food and money and go hide out in the big forest. Then when all the grown ups have forgotten about us, we can get a job" and Hermione agreed that it was a good plan.

"The only problem is that we have to wait at least nine years before we can get a job" Hermione said.

"Well we can even better friends" Harry reasoned.

"Oh yay" Hermione beamed. "We can look after each other" and the two friends split up to start plotting.

# # # # #

Most of Harry's possessions took some time to move out of Privet Drive due to the rain, but it was done well before the time limit was reached when Hermione was going to be sold. From what she had been told, her parents had already had several offers for the girl. Hermione was left in no uncertain detail exactly what she would be doing after being sold.

"Are you nearly done yet?" she asked Harry as they met up at the park that afternoon.

"Yes" Harry replied, nodded his head. "I'm excited about running away" he added.

"I don't know if I feel the same" said Hermione. "I've never run away from home before" and Harry giggled.

"First time for me as well" he told her. They arranged to run away from their homes that night after buying lots of tinned food. Hermione remembered reading about that in a book about outdoor survival. Money had been a problem because Harry felt guilty about Hermione paying for it all. She had replied that he could pay her back when he grown up.

# # # # #

Harry was shoved into his cupboard as normal, but he didn't attempt to sleep. He waited in the pitch black darkness until he was sure his relatives were asleep before unpicking the door and going out. Because of the fact it was the end of October and the beginning of November, Harry put on two sets of Dudley's old clothes to keep him warm. He checked that he had everything that Hermione had written down in tiny script. He was about to leave the house for the final time before he thought about food, so he went to the kitchen and made a large pile of sandwiches. He ate some of them because he didn't know when he would next eat, and then put the rest in an airtight container so he could share them with Hermione later on. Harry wondered where to put the note. Hermione said it had to be somewhere they would notice. Harry put it with the crisps. One last look around the kitchen, and Harry undid the locks on the door and then went out into the night.

# # # # #

Hermione dressed in her warmest clothing as she waited for her parents to go to sleep. They had awoken several hours before and started drinking, and so Hermione was forced to delay her planed escape until she was sure that it was safe. When she was, Hermione opened the door to her room and was about to leave before she rushed to the bed and grabbed something off it. She held on to the item as she went out the house and towards the forest that was a good ten minutes walk away. They would face this together: Harry, herself… and Mr Cuddle Bug. She made her way through the dark streets, slightly frightened by the slightest noise she heard. She managed to get to the forest without a single person spotting her. She shone the torch around as she made her way to the spot she and Harry had agreed upon, and indeed found the boy sitting on a log waiting for her.

"Hermione!" he cried happily. He went over and hugged her tightly as if they had never seen each other for a long time.

"Hello, Harry" Hermione said in return.

"I found the most coolest thing ever" Harry said. Before Hermione could protest, she was being dragged along behind him deeper into the forest. She was about to say something to her friend when she saw what Harry was on about. A tent was set up in a clearing in the deepest part of the forest, and the girl frowned when she saw nobody around. Surely the tent would have been left guarded by someone.

"We can't go in there" she told Harry.

"But we have permission" Harry grinned, and he took her inside and watched her reaction. The tent was bigger on the inside then it looked from the outside, and to Hermoine's prospective looked like a small bungerlow. The size of the tent though made this impossible. Hermione briefly wondered if this was something from the government.

"We do you mean we have permission?" she asked Harry whilst looking round what appeared to be a sitting room.

"I found this on a table" Harry said, and he gave her a scribbled note.

_To Whomever Finds This Note,_

_I, Ronald McDonald, hereby leave this tent and all of its positions to the person or persons finding it first. I've not been able to take this with me where I am going, but hope that it will be of some use to you._

_Best Wishes_

_Ronald McDonald_

_PS: I think the milk is off_

Sure enough it was.

"So what do you think?" asked Harry. Hermione thought for a while before agreeing that the tent could be considered theirs. They looked around the tent more and found two nicely sized bedrooms, a small library which made Hermione happy, a kitchen and a combined toilet and bathroom. They came back and sat in an armchair together because it was a bit cold in the tent – it being well after midnight after all.

"Well at least we have our own house" Hermione said.

"And we can live together for ever and ever and ever" Harry grinned. Then he remembered the things he had brought with him when he had left his relatives' house. He told Hermione about the sandwiches that he had made, and Hermione was glad he had made the. She hadn't much to eat before she had left her now former home either. The pair of them crept out into the darkness again and made their way to where they had stored all of their possessions. Knowing more then most what it was like to go without food, Harry told Hermione to have as many as she wanted, and the girl ended up eating most of them. When she had finished, they talked for a while in the middle of the forest and under the moonlight and stars. They decided to get their things and bring them to the tent, and they did this before dawn started to appear on the horizon. Harry was polite and allowed Hermione to have the first choice of bedroom, and she picked the one nearest the small library which made Harry smile. He was surprised that Hermione hadn't decided to live in the place. Harry's possessions took the shortest time to move in, so he gave Hermione a hand to move her things inside. The first thing she did was to ensure that Mr Cuddlebug was snug inside the bed as he had had a very tiring day as well. Harry asked Hermione if she minded if he went to bed then on account of him feeling tired and just plain worn out. They dressed for bed, or at least in Harry's case took off Dudley's old clothes, got under the covers and then fell into a deep sleep which lasted for several hours.

# # # # #

Harry woke sometime in the early afternoon, dressed and went of his first ever bedroom and found Hermione curled up in one of the comfy armchairs. She was deep into a large book she had brought with her, but saw Harry and greeted him with a hug before pulling away quickly.

"What?" asked Harry.

"You need a bath" Hermione said with a wrinkled nose. Harry laughed and asked Hermione if it was alright if he ate first and then had the bath. She nodded and made him some sandwiches which Harry ate before going to the bathroom. He stuck his head out to check the coast was clear before running to his room and putting on another pair of Dudley's old clothes. When he returned smelling all nice and clean, Hermione asked Harry what he would like to do. Harry was stunned as he had never been asked what he wanted before. Hermione had asked him something like that when they had been in the park together, but that was a different situation altogether. Eventually he decided it might be best if they put their things away in their new rooms to which Hermione agreed. When they had done that, the pair of them put all of the tinned food away in the kitchen before Harry thought of something.

"Did you bring some matches?" he asked Hermione.

"Yes, though we have to be really, really careful with them" she replied. They both knew of the uses of fire, and both were well aware of the dangers as well.

"That's good" Harry said. "Just so we can have a fire in here at night when it is really cold" and Hermione agreed. She put the matches in a place where they could not be lit accidentally. They spent the rest of the afternoon outside in the forest picking up twigs and small branches which had come off the trees, and these they stored in the sitting room and the pantry Hermione had found off the kitchen. When they had finished, they sat down and thought about what to do next. The excitement of running away from home was still running through them, and both of them thought that they could do anything in the world. Knowing that Hermione had been dying to look in the library, Harry led Hermione into it and marvelled in its vastness.

"There must be hundreds and hundreds of books in here" Hermione said in awe. Harry was young, but he knew that different people worshiped different things. Maybe Hermione's religion was that she worshiped books. He had a brief thought of a librarian as her god which made him laugh. Hermione did too when he told her about it. They went over to a random bookcase and pulled out one of the books and dusted off the cover. "_Potions Most Foul_" Harry looked at Hermione when she read the title.

"Potions?" he asked his friend. They looked at many different books there, and found books that involved more potions making, mythical creatures and stories about witchcraft and wizardry.

"The person that owned this must have forgotten to take the books with him" Hermione said. "I expect he'll come back for them" and they left the library and read the books that Hermione had brought with her. Even though her parents had been drunk most of the time, they had been too drunk at times to realise what money they had. Hermione had siphoned some away and bought books like the _Famous Five_, _Swallows and Amazons_ and _Practical and Handy Housekeeping Tips_. The last one she had found useful when tiding around her former home. She had also brought along a copy of _Medical Mayhem – A Guide To First Aid and Other Medical Issues_ on thinking that either herself or Harry might need medical attention. When it came to dinner, Harry studied the kitchen layout closely and then made some soup up on the basis that it was easy to make and needed very few items. As he came back, he noticed that Hermione was looking at him with an odd stare.

"Have I done something wrong?" he asked. Harry didn't want to upset his only friend in anyway.

"Oh no" Hermione replied quickly. "I was just thinking that we could go to the shops and buy you some clothes. Then again we could both get some clothes that we will have to grow into later. It will save lots and lots of money" and Harry wondered – not for the first time – how his friend was so smart. Over the next few days and weeks, nobody bothered to tell anyone that they had gone missing, so both children assumed that they were safely away from their respective relatives. They somehow managed to live together through the next few years with not a single person noticing or finding them. Luckily they had few causes to venture out, and in fact only did so when they needed to purchase supplies and things for their first aid kit. They lived together in peace and harmony until a few days after Harry's eleventh birthday.

Then things happened…

**A/N:**

**Hope you like this first chapter. Only person to have known about it was XRaiderV1.**

**Normally my fics start with nice kind words – NOT THIS ONE! Thought I'd start the entire story with a healthy bit of cursing! I bet that surprised some of you.**

**Second chapter already being written, but this may take some time to complete due to other stuff taking priority. To give you some sort of guide as to what happens, the next chapter will involve them discovering the magical world, discovering lost heritages and living at Hogwarts in the most unusual way ever devised.**

**Oh, did I mention anything about Multi-Bashing? (I coined that word so I claim first dibs on it!).**

**Hope you like this**

**Regards:**

**Pixel**

**Coming to a monitor near you**


	2. FOUR YEARS LATER

**FOUR YEARS LATER**

Harry and Hermione had been living together for a long time now, and both of them had become the best of friends even more. Some things had been difficult to do, but by and large they had managed well enough without any grown ups. Christmases had come and gone, and though they had no TV to watch, both of them had never missed a Queen's Christmas Message. Both of them had grown up to the ages of eleven which was the cause of Hermione's big grin. She had been up since the early hours of the morning getting Harry's (delayed) birthday surprise waiting for him, and when he woke up and came into the living room after having a shower he saw a big banner – used on the birthdays of each other – and a present that Hermione had taken weeks to fix up. The reason everything was delayed for a few days was because both had been ill. Hermione had made a big album of all of their life together as best friends, and some of the pictures Harry hadn't even known Hermione had taken. Harry hugged his best friend tightly and felt two small lumps under the t-shirt she was wearing. Hermione had been slightly worried when she had first noticed them, and she and Harry had consulted the medical books for answers. When they had discovered what they were – and the process of puberty – they had both turned green and decided to not think much more about it. Harry watched as Hermione skilfully cooked him a birthday breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausages and mushrooms. Just at the time that they had finished, they heard the snapping of twigs and leaves.

"It's odd to have someone this far in" Harry remarked to Hermione. When they had first looked around the area the tent was in, they had found a sign which read

_DANGER_

_No Entry Allowed Except by Permission of the Government_

_By Order of the Home Office_

This allowed Harry and Hermione to live undisturbed by people, but they had often wondered why. Harry joked to Hermione that they lived on top of mutant zombies. The pair of them listened in to the twigs breaking as the person got nearer. Harry put himself between Hermione and the entrance to the tent as his protective nature kicked in. the person got closer to them until they reached the clearing and headed straight for the tent.

"Oh crap" Hermione muttered. Just as Harry was starting to look for a weapon, the person stopped and a female voice floated in.

"Is anybody in?" it asked.

"No" Harry replied. The voice seemed puzzled for a moment and then asked who she was speaking to. "Harry and Hermione are out at the moment. Please leave a message after the beep. BEEEEEP" but the voice seemed to know the pair were inside and she asked permission to come in. Harry looked at Hermione before telling the person to come in. As they did so, Harry and Hermione saw an elderly looking woman wearing what looked to be some kind of robe come into the tent and look over at the pair.

"Who are you?" asked Hermione.

"My name is Professor Minerva McGonagall" the woman introduced herself. "May I assume that you are Harry Potter?" she asked when looking at Harry.

"I'm Hermione, and this is Harry" Hermione introduced herself to the woman. They had never had a grown up in the tent before.

"I suppose you are wondering why I am here" McGonagall said.

"Well we are slightly puzzled" Harry admitted.

"May I sit down?" McGonagall asked. "This may take some time to explain" and they sat down – Harry and Hermione taking one chair together – and McGonagall began her tale.

#

"Are you sure this isn't some kind of joke?" asked Hermione.

"I assure you this isn't any kind of joke" McGonagall told her. "To be honest with you both, this meeting should have happened at least a year ago, but for reasons unknown at the time something was wrong" and Harry and Hermione frowned as they thought of a question.

"If this magical register knows where every witch and wizard lives, then why didn't it send a letter to Hermione on her birthday? Or to me on my birthday for that matter?" Harry asked.

"The magical register is very accurate except for one thing. It assumes that the people in the book are living in a building of some kind. Home, orphanage or hotel. We have never had a situation like this in all my time as a teacher. We had to cast a special spell to find you when Mr Potter's letter was not sent with the others" McGonagall explained. Harry and Hermione whispered amongst themselves until Hermione saw McGonagall staring at Harry with an odd look.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, and McGonagall seemed to come out of some trance.

"Oh yes, my dear. I was just thinking how much Mr Potter looked very much like his father except for his eyes. He has his mothers eyes" and Harry gasped.

"You knew my parents?" he asked her.

"Oh of course" McGonagall replied. She spent the next full hour talk and answering questions about Harry's parents. By the end of the talking, Harry had tears running down his face as he finally knew something real about his parents. "Would you like to come to Hogwarts then?" McGonagall asked.

"Can Hermione come as well?" Harry said as he dried the tears with a handkerchief that Hermione thoughtfully gave him.

"Of course she can" McGonagall said.

She told them that Harry had some money that his parents had left for him in a trust vault until he was 15 and able to take over the family estate. Harry's jaw dropped through the ground and ended up in Australia - around Sydney. When McGonagall asked why both he and Hermione were surprised, Harry gathered his wits and replied that he had always been told by the Dursleys that he had cost them lots of money to look after over the years he had lived with them. At least one of his worries had been solved – how to pay for all his equipment needed for the school. McGonagall mentioned that a special charity fund was used to pay for the things needed for students who had had no previous idea of the Wizarding world. Harry and Hermione had objected right away as they didn't believe in charity. They gave a little money each year to them of course, but they had no intention of ever using one. They had managed quite well over the years, thank you very much. McGonagall saw the pair as being very determined and so gave the idea up at once. She said that they could buy all of the things needed to attend Hogwarts, and that they could leave for there now if they wanted. Harry and Hermione decided to do that and got changed into going out clothes – one at a time in case McGonagall tried anything funny. Even though she had demonstrated her magical talent, both children reckoned they could take her out.

"What about the tent?" asked Harry.

"What about it?" McGonagall asked.

"Can you make it so that nobody goes in please? That place is our home" Hermione told the Professor. McGonagall nodded and waved her want at it and the tent seemed to pack itself into a neat little bundle which put itself into a rucksack.

"Mmm… not bad" Harry said.

"How are we going to get to London?" asked Hermione. "I don't think we have enough money for a bus or train" but McGonagall simply smiled and told them to hold on to her arms. As they did so, they felt themselves being tugged in the middle and then appeared in the middle of a large street full of people dressed in the same sort of way that McGonagall was. Children of all ages tagged along with their parents, but Harry and heroine felt nothing. They had each other and that was that.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley" McGonagall said to Harry and Hermione. Nobody seemed to have noticed their arrival so the pair assumed that this thing of simply appearing out of thin air was a regular happening.

"I don't think we have enough money" Harry said as he looked at all the shops.

"Well, we'll just have to go to the bank" McGonagall said. She led them down the street greeting people as she passed them until they reached a pure white marble building. The doors were guarded by two small… creatures dressed in red uniforms complete with hats. "Goblins" she told the pair. "They run our banking system for us. Most of us wouldn't know what to do with a banking system" and the Professor led them through the doors, through a second set of doors guarded by another Goblin before entering the main floor of the bank.

"Oh" said Harry.

"My" said Hermione.

"God" they finished together. The vast hall was filled with what looked like hundreds of goblins dressed in miniature suits sitting at desks. Goblins and humans came out of small doors at varying intervals which made both children curious. McGonagall let the sight sink in before they walked to the nearest Goblin.

"Yes?" the Goblin had a long hooked nose with tiny spectacles on.

"Mr Harry Potter would like to visit his vault" McGonagall said.

"And does Mr Harry Potter have his key?" asked the goblin.

"Sadly he does not" McGonagall said. "It was lost a number of years ago" and the Goblin was thoughtful for a moment before showing them into a small office. The three of them waited until another Goblin entered with a number of items under his arm.

"Good Morning" he said politely. "I have been told that Mr Potter would like to visit his vaults. Unfortunatly the key has been lost?" the Goblin said it more as a question then anything else.

"It was lost during a fire in Professor Dumbledore's office. I am afraid to say that the heat was so intense that it melted beyond repair" McGonagall said. Hermione noticed that McGonagall fidgeted whilst speaking. Did she have something to hide? Or was it just that she had a slight fear of Goblins as well?"

"Well that can easily be sorted out. My name is Primus, Mr Potter. May I ask who your companion is?" and Harry introduced Hermione. "Well then. I've been called in to deal with the problem, but you will normally be seen by your Family Account. Because you do not have your key, I will require a small sample of your blood. Magic will tell me if you are who you say you are" and Primus picked up a small dagger from the table and pressed something on the hilt so a number of smaller blades popped out. He made a move towards Harry, but the boy's eyes went wide and did a perfect jump and flip over the high backed chair as he went out the reach of the Goblin.

"Get stuffed" he said firmly.

"I do not understand" said a baffled Primus. "All that is needed to check you are who you say you are is a few drops of your blood" and Hermione knew what was the matter.

"Harry is afraid of needles and things going into him, Mr Goblin. I wish I could say why, but I promised to not tell anyone until Harry said I could" she told him.

"Oh I see" Primus understood. "We have a number of reactions sometimes of course, but we normally get through those with a minimum amount of fuss" and Harry kept his eyes on the dagger before Hermione went to him and gave her friend a hug.

"I won't let them hurt you" she said soothingly.

"Is there another method to prove Mr Potter's identity?" asked McGonagall.

"In the absence of a key and a blood sample, I will ask Mr Potter to place his hand on this piece of parchment and it will prove his identity" Primus handed a newly reseated Harry a piece of parchment that he placed his hand on. It glowed for a moment before bathing Harry in a golden glow. "Well that is that I suppose" Primus called for the Potter Family Accountant, a Goblin by the name of Griphook, and the four went off to what looked like an old fashioned cart.

# # # # #

"I wish they would put some stairs" groaned McGonagall said as they came out the bank. "Or perhaps a nice lift might be in order" and Harry and Hermione giggled at the green at the gills Professor. Both of them felt weighted down by the large money bags that each of them carried. McGonagall had said that they should take too much money in one go, but Harry had told her that the reason he had taken so much, was so that he knew what it felt like to have some.

"So where do we go first?" asked Hermione.

"I would suggest that our first stop would be to purchase a trunk for each of you" McGonagall said. as they looked around the shop, Harry noticed that the shopkeeper kept gazing at him as if he was a sought after treasure. McGonagall had warned him that people might look at him due to his defeat of Voldemort. After careful choosing and looking at trunks, Harry and Hermione purchased trunks which featured Auto Shrinking Charms, a Bottomless feature that would only work on a certain set of taps of a wand and Anti Theft Charms. They also had handy little wheels to move the trunks about places. The only way the trunk could be opened would be either by the owner or anyone the owner had keyed the trunk to allow access. The Anti Theft function was set to take a blood sample, but as Harry didn't like that he paid the shopkeeper a little extra so that it now read palm prints instead.

"I've only known the magical world for a little while, but already I'm beginning to hate it" Harry grumbled as they left the shop.

"Whatever for?" asked McGonagall.

"I'm famous for defeating a Dark Wizard" Harry said. "I don't remember that really, but I do remember the deaths of my parents" and Harry was silent until they reached a shop called Olivander's. They went inside and Harry was reminded of a very old fashion sweet shop he had seen in a book. All the shelves were made from wood, and they reached up to the ceiling. Long and thin boxes sat on top of each other and Harry revised his thought to make it like an old fashioned shoe shop. As Harry and Hermione looked around and wondered what the boxes contained, a small man appeared and greeted Professor McGonagall and then the children.

"New Hogwarts students I assume?" he asked.

"Erm… yes we are" said Hermione.

"Ah… it is always nice to see people on the start of the school lives" said the man. "I'm Mr Olivander. I suppose you will be wanting to start getting your wands" he added, but Harry caught a glance at his forehead.

"Is something wrong?" asked Harry.

"Oh no" Olivander said. "It is just that I remember your parents coming in here and getting their first wands. Very friendly people they were as well. A great tragedy about their deaths at the hands of You-Know-Who" and Harry frowned.

"I'm sorry. I don't know who you mean" he said.

"Most of do not speak his name through fear" McGonagall reminded him. With everything that had happened, Harry and Hermione had forgotten about the alternate names for Voldemort.

"Let us start with your companion" Olivander said. "Which is your wand arm?" he asked.

"I don't know. I can write with both hands though if that helps" Hermione said. Olivander seemed to be extremely pleased with this news.

"Oh I do so love a challenge" he said happily. It turned out the boxes contained wands which he made Hermione try in both hands. After a good ten minutes of going through each one, a warm glow surrounded the girl which seemed to mean her wand had been found. Harry's was next, and his was even harder then his friend's had been. It took a full hour before the same warm glow surrounded Harry, but to his surprise Mr Olivander seemed to be puzzled by the choice.

"Is something the matter, Mr Olivander?" asked McGonagall.

"The wand chooses the witch or wizard as you know. In this case I am more then mildly surprised by this wand's choice of owner. This wand is made of Phoenix feather and #. The Phoenix that gave this feather gave another – just one more. It is curious that it should choose you, Mr Potter, when its brother… why its brother gave you that scar" Olivander said. Harry's hand flew to his forehead where the lightning bolt scar always was.

"You mean Vold… You-Know-Who gave me that scar?" he said.

"Indeed he did" Olivander said. "I think we can expect great things from you, Mr Potter" and he left it at that. After paying for their wands, Harry and Hermione put them in the trunks and left the shop with Mr Olivander bowing them out.

"We just have to get your school books, supplies and robes now" McGonagall said. They decided to get the robes done first as they didn't know how long it would take. They went into a shop which had a slightly faded shop dummy in the front window. Inside was a veritable mass of robes and other items which seemed to be associated with what witches and wizards wore. The owner of the shop, a witch by the name of Madam Malkin, ushered them into the back and started measuring them with a tape measure that floated all over them. To their surprise, it didn't take very long at all to get their robes made for wearing whilst at the school. This was because material was being cut and sown together to the measurements Malkin spoke. Harry and Hermione decided to purchase several sets of robes as they would naturally grow out of them over the school year. After leaving they visited a shop that sold them everything they required for lessons. McGonagall found that they didn't seem so surprised when they found bat wings, frog legs and other items that Muggle Borns found disgusting.

"A bookshop!" Hermione squealed happily, and she purchased the needed books first before getting every book she could find on the history of the magical world in Britain. Harry wondered if they would need another trunk when Hermione had finished. He himself got few extra books as he and Hermione would share the books she had got. What Harry did buy were a couple of cookbooks as he really liked cooking and wanted to see what it was like in the magical world. When they had finished purchasing everything they wanted, McGonagall took them to a pub called _The Leaky Cauldron_ where they got something to eat. McGonagall asked for some Butterbeer for the pair, but it was soon found that neither of them liked it very much, though they did drink it all the same so as to not cause offence. In the end, both of the children had large goblets of orange juice to wash down a rather nice Shepard's Pie.

"Now I face a bit of a problem" McGonagall said as they finished eating. "Normally I would take you back to your families, but after what you have both told me, I do not think that is such a good option" and Harry and Hermione looked at each other as if communicating in thought.

"Could we not simply go back to the forest?" Hermione asked after a while.

"I am afraid I could not let that happen" McGonagall said.

"I heard the man at the bar say he had rooms to rent. Could we not simply rent some rooms here until school starts?" Harry asked.

"I will go and ask" McGonagall said, and she got up and went to have a word with the man at the bar. When she came back, she said that he had just rented all of the rooms but one small room. Other arrangements would have to be made for the pair. This set Harry and Hermione thinking about their tent.

"We have an idea, Professor" said Harry.

"What is it, Mr Potter?" asked McGonagall.

"Well could we not rent the room and simply set up the tent inside it? We could live inside it until it is time for school to start" Harry said, and McGonagall thought it over before returning to the bar once more to speak to the barman.

"Tom says that it is alright with him" she said when she came over. The barman – now known to them as Tom – came from behind the bar and led them up some creaking steps and took them to see the room they would rent. As he did so, he remarked that he had never met more intelligent 11 year olds before. The room was just big enough for them to set up the tent and allow the door to open. The rent was very small as it was clear that Harry and Hermione wouldn't be using anything other then the room itself. They settled in and waited out the rest of the month until they boarded the train which would take them to their new school.

# # # # #

"I was thinking that we could go to that ice cream shop again" Hermione one morning. Harry hated going out into Diagon Alley unless he wore a hat or cap because of the attention he got from passers by. This had puzzled them both because they had only known the magical world for a fortnight. How had they managed to know who Harry was? Clearly Harry and Hermione would have to look through this later on.

"Alright then" said her friend, and he picked up the cap that was sitting on the table. He picked up his red jacket which he had brought whilst on a trip to normal – or muggle – London. With the money now at his disposal, Harry and Hermione had gone shopping and blitzed pretty much every clothing store in the capital. Hermione picked up the keys to their room and followed Harry out of the room and locked the door as they did so. As she shut the door, she found herself smiling at the sight of a tent set up inside a building. They made their way downstairs to the bar where they told Tom where they would be going, and he let them into the back yard and opened the portal to Diagon Alley for them. They walked down the street and headed towards the parlour they had found their second day living at the _Leaky Cauldron_. The owner had said that he could supply them with a flavour of their choice. He was thrown slightly, therefore, when Harry asked for a Yorkshire Pudding flavoured ice cream.

"I guess this isn't so bad" Harry said as they sat outside and watched the many people passing by doing their shopping. They had seen the same red haired family a number of times, and it was the largest family they had ever seen yet. The pair of them had counted a total of at least five – not counting the mother.

After they had finished, they took a walk down to the bank to pick up Harry's key to his trust vault and got a copy for Hermione. She insisted that he needn't have to do that, but he told her that she was his friend and that friends helped each other out. And there was also the fact that he wanted to share his things with her because she had given him friendship. Hermione had finally relented and pocketed the key she was given after she had hugged and kissed Harry on the cheek. When they left the bank, they had a walk around the street again before heading to the bookshop to see if they had any new books they might want to buy. When they found nothing, they went back to the pub and decided to have a quiet lunch of tomato soup and sandwiches in the pub. They went back to their room to change into comfortable clothes before going out to London and having a look at several shops and riding the tube trains with no actual destination in mind. They just loved the fact of whizzing along at speed under the ground.

A few days later, and the pair of them decided to take a look at the library that they had discovered their first time in the tent all those years ago. Because of the fact that a lot of these books looked very old, the pair of them had decided to take several days off and take stock of what exactly was in there. When they had finished, the pair found they had a total of 214 books. Hermione then set about copying the list with Harry's help so they had a duplicate copy. The original went to be kept in Harry's trust vault whilst the copy remained with the pair. It was placed along with all their paperwork which detailed what they had done. A large book was kept in the sitting room which detailed how much either of them had spent on their purchases. But unlike what everyone else had brought in the stationary shop in Diagon Alley, Harry and Hermione had gone and got actual paper and pens because it was much cleaner, and didn't run the risk of ink spillages. After some time of watching the magical community, they had noticed they seemed awfully backward in a lot of ways. Some of the books they had bought and read which had been written about Muggles had shown the information to be out of date. From what they had researched together, it seemed as if most of the magical community was almost a hundred years behind the times. As they looked out the window of their room at the pub, both of them heard a gentle knock on the door.

"Yes?" called Hermione.

"I have someone to see you" said Tom on the other side of the door.

"Who is it? Professor McGonagall?" asked Harry.

"It is Professor Dumbledore" said Tom. "He wants to see you now" and something told the pair that Tom was against the meeting. The children looked at each other as they thought of what to say.

"Does he have an appointment?" Hermione asked.

"No…" said Tom.

"Well he can't see us without an appointment" Hermione said quickly. Then before anyone could say another word, Harry and Hermione dived into the tent. Tom and Dumbledore looked at each other before Tom opened the door by right of being the owner.

"I must insist that I speak to you" said Dumbledore. His long white beard was sporting vibrant pinks tips. This was as a result of meeting the Japanese Minister of Magic the previous week. She had suggested trying it out and so Dumbledore and found he liked it. There was silence before Harry and Hermione came out of the tent and faced the wizard. "Ah, now that is much better" Dumbledore said pleased.

"What part of we don't want to see you do you not understand?" asked Hermione bluntly. As it had just been her and Harry alone for several years in the tent, social niceties were not really at the forefront of activities. It had been a long time since Dumbledore had been spoken to like that, and so he blinked a few times to collect his thoughts.

"I must say how well it is to have seen you after all these years, Harry" he began. "It is most satisfying to know that you have rejoined the magical community. I think that with help from myself, you will become a great leader in our world" and Dumbledore glanced to Hermione and eyed her up. It had been a long, long, long time since he had seen a pretty girl like her stood before him. Harry saw the look that Hermione was receiving, and also noticed the slight shaking in his friend.

"Get out" Harry said in a low voice.

"Excuse me?" Dumbledore hadn't quite believed what Harry had said to him.

"You are making Mione upset. I would like you to leave now, please" and Dumbledore looked at the boy.

"Do you have any idea who you are talking to?" he said, rising to his full height to make an impression to the boy.

"Yes I do. You're looking at my friend the same way some people did to her once before. Now I don't know what kind of police force you have here, but I think any law enforcement will hate child abuse" Harry then raised one hand and pointed a finger at Dumbledore. "GET OUT!" and the man shot out the room and hit the wall of the hallway. "And as for you…" Harry's finger turned to point at Tom who started quaking in his boots. "Two teas please - milk and two sugars" and he started laughing at Tom's face. The owner of the pub had thought he was likely to receive some treatment like Dumbledore just had. Harry wrapped an arm around Hermione and sat her down and calmed her down by moving his hand in little circles on her back. It took nearly a half hour before she stopped crying and shaking.

"Thank you helping me" Hermione sniffed.

"You know you don't have to thank me" Harry told her gently. "That is what friends are for" and the pair exchanged hugs and smiles before heading downstairs and telling Tom they would be heading out to Muggle London to eat dinner.

#

The trip to get through Kings Cross had caused some confusion and had frightened both Harry and Hermione. Even with visiting the underground stations, nothing had prepared them for the hustle of people at a major station. It frightened them so much, that both of them considered going back to the _Leaky Caldron_ and waiting there for someone to find them. They managed to get on the train, store their luggage and watch out the window as the train pulled out the station. About five minutes into their journey, a red headed boy came into their compartment and sat himself down without introducing himself to either of them. It was clear that someone had sent him to watch Harry and Hermione as he kept looking at them.

"Do you want something?" asked Harry.

"No" replied the boy. During the afternoon, they decided to have a walk up and down the train, and therefore missed a blond haired boy and two others walk into their compartment.

Harry and Hermione would soon meet the boy. It would not be a pleasant experience….

For _either_ of the parties

**A/N:**

**Enjoy!**

**Regards**

**Pixel**


	3. A New School, A New Term and A New Start

**A New School, A New Term and A New Start**

They pulled into the station with a darkened sky and bright stars shone down. The lights of the station punctured the night as well, and Harry and Hermione saw a massive man who seemed to be at least three times their height. He led them down to a little quayside where they got into one of many boats waiting for them. The ride was interesting to Harry and Hermione as it let them spend some time looking up at the stars high above them. A lot of people – the red haired boy amongst them – kept looking at Hermione and Harry, but it was mainly Harry that was getting the attention. The giant man led them from the boats to the huge wooden doors that blocked their way into the castle. He knocked three times before they opened to reveal a elderly looking woman wearing robes and a pointed hat.

"The first years, Professor McGonagall" the giant said.

"Thank you, Hagrid" and the huge man nodded once then turned and went off into the darkness. McGonagall led them all inside and into a small chamber whose purpose seemed to be as a waiting area.

"Now what?" asked Harry, and Hermione shrugged as McGonagall started to speak.

"The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, a great honour. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours." and mcGonagall left to attend to something.

"It's true then, what they're saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts" a boy said in the silence.

"_Harry Potter_?" the name seemed to echo with all the whispers.

"It would seem so" Harry said. "Who are you?" he asked. The boy had slicked back blond hair and an air around him that got up Harry's nose.

"This is Crabbe and Goyle. And I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to make friends with the wrong sort. You do not want to be hanging around with this mudblood" and several people gasped at the last word from Malfoy.

"I think I can tell the wrong sort for my self thanks" Harry said. "This mudblood is called Hermione Granger. We are friends and I don't take kindly to people from this magical world insulting either me or Hermione. I have had enough of people telling us what they think we should do in order to fit in with this world, so I think that me and Mione will simply go and get the train home" and at that moment the door opened.

"That would be most unfortunate, Mr Potter. I do hope that no fighting was about to take place" McGonagall said whilst looking at Malfoy. "We're ready for you. Follow me" she added, and she led them through a set of double doors and into the great hall. All of the students older then them watched as they headed up to a little stool with a rather battered hat on it. Harry glanced up to see the ceiling and instead saw the sky.

"Must be more magic" Hermione muttered when she aw what had Harry's attention. When they had gathered around the stool, Dumbledore stood up and began to speak.

"I have a few start-of-term notices I wish to announce. The first years please note, that the Dark Forest is forbidden to all students. Also, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind you that the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds

to all who do not wish to die a most painful death. Thank you" and as he sat down, he looked over Harry and Hermione. The girl shivered slightly so Harry stepped in front of her so his view was blocked.

"When I call your name you will come forth, I shall place the Sorting Hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses. Susan Bones!" a small red haired girl stepped forward, sat on the stool and had the hat placed on her head.

_HUFFLEPUFF! _The hat itself spoke via a rip on the front. Susan Bones went to sit with the table that was cheering the most.

"Draco Malfoy!" McGonagall called out. Malfoy hadn't even got close to the hat when it cried out.

_SLYTHERIN!_

"Ron Weasley!" the red haired boy came up next and had the hat placed on his head.

"_Ha! Another Weasley! I know just what to do with you..._ GRYFFINDOR!" the hat said, and to the pair, it sounded like it was somewhat amused. They went through the rest in particulate order, and then only Harry and Hermione were left. McGonagall looked at her list to be certain, but the list was correct whatever way she read it

"Harry Potter and Hermione Granger" McGonagall called out. The pair shrugged and sat down and the hat expanded to flop over both of them.

"_Hmmm... Difficult, very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh yes, and a thirst to prove yourself. But where to put you..._" the hat seemed to be enjoying itself with the difficulty of sorting Harry and Hermione. They wondered if it was related to Mr Olivander in some way. The hat thought and thought and thought for a good long time until the rip opened up. By now Harry and Hermione had gotten royally fed up and had reached the point where they would tell the school to stuff it. "_SLYTHERIN!_" the hat shouted. But as the Slytherin table started cheering, and before McGonagall could remove the hat, it spoke again. "_HUFFLEPUFF! RAVENCLAW! GRYFFINDOR!_" and then fell silent and remained that way.

"Mr Potter and Miss Granger, I will see you both at once in my office" Dumbledore said. "As for the rest of you, I hope you have an enjoyable feast" and that was seemingly that. Harry and Hermione watched as platters of food appeared on the house and staff tables, but they followed Dumbledore and McGonagall silently to Dumbledore's office. The headmaster asked them to sit in a chair, and they took one together and faced him and McGonagall.

"Now what?" asked Harry bluntly.

"You two are somewhat of a mystery" said Dumbledore. "I have been headmaster for many years now, and never has the hat sorted two pupils into more then one house – let alone the other possible combinations. The Weasley twins were sorted together of course, but they both went into Gryffindor. The question is where to put you both" and he stroked his long white beard thoughtfully.

"Why is that such a problem?" asked Hermione.

"The hat can tell what house a person should be sorted into" McGonagall said. "It can tell the personality trait of a person. In the case of two or more traits, the hat will pick the strongest of them. You two have traits in equal measures, and so it is hard to decide where to put you. The hat has sorted you into all four houses, and so we must look up the rules and guidelines to see what to do. Of course, you may have your own choice on where to go" the woman added.

"We must talk" said Harry simply. McGonagall was about to reprimand him, but then she realised she had two problems. He hadn't been sorted into a house so she couldn't take points away, and people handling skills were not on the top of activities during their time alone together.

"Would you like to step outside?" suggested Dumbledore, and the pair got up and stood outside the office. "Do not worry, Minerva" he added, "Everything will work out for the greater good" and McGonagall didn't seem to agree.

"Bugger your greater good" she said simply.

#

"So all four houses then huh?" Hermione said.

"Sure looks like it" Harry replied. "So where?" he added.

"I'm not really sure" his friend replied. "Slytherin are cunning, and we used cunning in the plans to escape our families. Hufflepuff stands for loyalty, and we have been loyal to each other over the years and earlier you were loyal to me in front of everyone. Ravenclaw House has many intelligent people in it, and we used that as well in making our plans to escape" and she paused as if thinking about Gryffindor.

"And Gryffindor House has people of courage" Harry finished for her. "We had the courage to run away from our families and to live together away from them" and Hermione nodded.

"And there lies the problem" she said. "We're smart, cunning, loyal and have great courage. A pity we couldn't be in all four houses to be honest" and Harry agreed. Soon they made their decision, and they went back inside the office and sat in the same chair.

#

"I hope you have decided on which house you would like to be in" said Dumbledore smiling.

"We want to be in Hufflepuff! Hermione said. Dumbledore's smile went, and he whipped out his wand and said something which gave the pair and McGonagall glazed looks.

"You have chosen to go into Gryffindor – both of you have. You will leave here and go to Gryffindor tower. Minerva, you have seen them select Gryffindor" Dumbledore smiled. "You remember that" he added.

"And you remember that if you try that again, I'll call the police" Harry said. As Dumbledore's mouth opened and closed like a fish, Harry and Hermione stood up and left the office and walked around to find someone to direct them to wherever the Hufflepuffs lived.

#

A passing ghost helpfully gave them directions to the place where the Hufflepuffs resided, and both of them found the place to be very empty as no one had yet arrived at the large room that appeared to be a common room of some kind. As they looked at some kind of painting, there was a popping noise which caused them to turn round and look at the small creature that was stood gazing at them.

"Hello" said Hermione. "What and who are you?" she asked.

"My name is Tilly, Miss. I's being a House Elf" the creature said with a soft tone which told them it was a female. "Yous has come here not eats yours dinner. Tilly be thinkings that yous be wanting food" and Hermione looked at her friend and silently asked him a question.

"We'll have some sandwiches please" Harry said to the elf.

"Tilly be wonderings whats you be wanting insides" said the creature.

"Roast Beef, Roast Chicken and Roast Pork" said Hermione.

"Don't forget the mustard" said Harry. "And some milk to drink please" and Tilly nodded before vanishing with a pop. "I wonder what a house elf is exactly" and Hermione shrugged.

"Bet its some kind of magical servant" was all she came up with. They sat on the sofa and waited for the house elf to appear again. It wasn't very long and the elf came back with several platters of sandwiches.

"Tilly is very sorrys, but Tilly is not knowings how much milk you be wantings to drink" the elf said.

"A whole cow full of milk" said Hermione. The elf snapped her fingers and a large heifer suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Moooooooooooooooo!" said the cow indignantly. It had been enjoying some rather nice grass in its barn. Now it had been taken away from there and taken a place with two young humans.

"That's not what I meant" giggled Hermione. Tilly snapped her fingers and the heifer vanished from the room.

"Just get us a large jug of milk and two glasses please" Harry said. Tilly did as she was asked and then vanished from the room. "I guess people and creatures in the magical world can be rather literal" Harry remarked as he picked up a plate and some Roast Beef sandwiches. He and Hermione ate heartily and soon demolished the plate of sandwiches and drained the jug of milk. As they lay on the sofa with full stomachs, the door to the common room opened up and in started walking the Hufflepuffs who seemed surprised at their appearance.

"Is this for real?" asked one of the older students.

"Harry Potter and the Granger girl?" breathed another.

"We're not them. Actually I am Dr Jackal and this is my associate, Mr Hyde" Hermione said.

"Hueghhhhhhhhh" said Harry dramatically. Some of the students got the joke – clearly purebloods who had read the book or muggleborns who knew of it as well.

"Hi" said a red haired girl to them.

"hello" said Harry and Hermione together.

"My name's Susan. Susan Bones. This is my friend Hannah Abbot" the girl pointed to a slightly taller girl next to her.

"Can we be friends?" asked Hannah.

"If that's what you want" Harry said. "I suppose you want to know all about us then" he added. The other two girls nodded and so he and Hermione sat in an armchair together whilst their first new friends sat on the sofa. "From what Hermione and I read in books during the summer, it seems as if I am saviour of this world. Most of the books and newspapers we could find also told us about the fact that I lived with kind muggles in a palace and had great adventures" and Harry snorted.

"The truth could hardly be anything different" Hermione took over. "Harry and myself came from abusive families. Harry was worse off then I was though. Everyday he would be beaten to within an inch of his life, sent to muggle school and not even given food for days on end. I was beaten a lot, but nearly as many times as Harry had been. I also had to do all of the cooking for my parents who drank a lot. Then one day I met Harry, we became friends and eventually ended up running away together" and Susan and Hannah gasped and turned iceberg white.

"But surely you didn't have to runaway for long" said Hannah.

"Oh only for about four years" Harry answered.

"Gods…" Susan whispered. "How could anyone be so cruel?" she asked.

"You tell us" said Harry stiffly. He and Hermione filled them in on the details of their years together, and ended the tale with how McGonagall had arrived and given both Hermione and Harry their acceptance letters to Hogwarts.

"But the Magical Register knows where people are living all the time. Even if you lived in a tent it would have put the tent's location down as an address" Susan said.

"Well all we care about is the fact we don't have to go for days without food or drink to make our stuff go longer" said Hermione.

"How did you survive all that time?" asked Hannah. Both she and Susan were in tears over what had happened to their new friends.

"Through luck" Harry said. A Prefect called out that it was time for everyone to go to bed, but when Harry and Hermione went to their dorms, they found that there was only enough beds for the others. Harry told the Prefect, and he and his female companion checked for themselves. Their head of house – a woman called Sprout – was informed of the situation, and she went to consult with McGonagall who was still under the mind controlling spell cast by Dumbledore. When Sprout came back, she told Harry and Hermione that they had been wrongly sent to Hufflepuff, and that they should hurry along to Gryffindor at once. The pair promptly refused, but decided to not say why exactly. Sprout decided that things would be better served by being dealt with the next morning, so she allowed them to sleep in the first year dorms in sleeping bags.

#

SPLASH

"Now that was refreshing" said Harry as he got out of the water. Hermione handed him a towel and he dried himself off.

"Better get back to the castle before breakfast" Hermione said, and Harry nodded before running into the tent and changing. They had asked Tilly to bring it to them so they could change after swimming. The pair had always taken the chance to swim in the large pool where they had lived in the forest. When Harry had finished, he and Hermione walked back up to the castle after packing away their tent. They made it to the Hufflepuff common room before anyone else had got downstairs from the dorms. They didn't have to wait for long though as the sound of footsteps drifted down from the direction of the girls' dorm.

"Morning" Susan said, and she yawned widely. She was dressed in a set of pink pyjamas.

"Morning, sleepy head" grinned Harry.

"I only just woke up a few minutes ago" Susan said. "I'm not used to having a bathroom that isn't below my room. I'll see you in a few minutes" and she headed back up the stairs to the girls' bathroom. She was true to her word, and returned several minutes later wearing her school robes with the Hufflepuff colours on the hem, and the house crest on her left side. "That's better" she announced.

"Do you know what will happen today then?" asked Hermione.

"I think we get taken round to all of the various places that are in the school" said Susan. "It used to be different, but my Aunt said that she had heard they had changed the first day" she added.

"I guess that would help people who have never been to a school like this before" Harry said.

"I'm hungry" said Hermione.

"Lets go and eat" said Susan, and so the three friends went down to the great hall for breakfast. A few other people were sat there already, but most of them ignored the trio as they sat at the Hufflepuff table. Just as Harry and Hermione began to eat some bacon and eggs, Dumbledore strode into the room and demanded to see them. The pair slipped off their seats and followed the headmaster to his office.

# # # # #

"Both of you are sorted into Gryffindor house" Dumbledore said as he sat in his chair. "You will therefore go and have your tour round the classrooms and other places with the rest of your year" but Hermione shook her head.

"We want to be in Hufflepuff" she said.

"But the hat could not decide, so I have chosen to place you in Gryffindor. Your things will be taken there today" Dumbledore said.

"But we've made friends in Hufflepuff" Harry protested.

"And now you make better friends with your fellow Gryffindors" said Dumbledore, and his eyes twinkled like stars. "I would suggest, Miss Granger, that you become friends with Mr Weasley. You and him will do very well together indeed" and Harry looked at how Dumbledore was looking at Hermione. It was the same way he had looked at her in the _Leaky Cauldron_.

"I think we'll go and see if that other school is still taking students in" said Harry to Hermione.

"What other school?" enquired Dumbledore. "There is no other magical school in Britain" but Harry simply smiled.

"You misunderstand me" he replied. "I was referring to the school in France" and Dumbledore's eyes widened to saucers as he understood clearly the threat that Harry had placed before him.

"You wouldn't dare to do that" said the headmaster.

"I can, will do and have done so" Harry said. "We've done very well on our own for years, and we don't need any of this magic to help us live together. I think that we'll simply leave the school" and Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her towards the door.

"STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" thundered Dumbledore, and he waved his wand at the door which clicked as the lock was put on.

"Open the door" said Harry without looking at the irate wizard behind him and his friend.

"Not until you agree to do as I tell you" Dumbledore said.

"And who are you to tell me and Harry what to do" asked Hermione.

"I am your guardian and headmaster of this school" Dumbledore said. "You will obey my rules" and Harry looked behind him, at Hermione and then back at the door again.

"Open" he spoke, and the door exploded in shards of splinters which flew around the two children and right at Dumbledore. Several of the larger ones hit him before he could cast a spell. When he looked at the spot that Harry and Hermione had been in, neither of them could be seen. Dumbledore's first reaction was to go after them, but decided that the pooling amounts of blood on the floor dictated his trip to the Hospital Wing.

# # # # #

"Wow" said Hannah. "How did you do that?" she asked.

"I simply thought about the door opening… and it did" Harry replied. He and Hermione had missed breakfast, and so they had to go until the evening for something to eat. They could have had something during lunch, but Dumbledore had been in the hall so they had to go without in case he tried something on either of the pair.

"Well I'm happy that you are alright" said Susan. "I guess we had better get into bed and have some sleep before we try to get through our first day of lessons" and then she seemed to think of something. "I wonder why Professor Dumbledore hasn't tried to put you in Gryffindor again" she said to Harry and Hermione.

"I think that the headmaster is slightly afraid of us" Harry said in a whisper. The silence lasted for a few seconds before the four of them broke into laughter as they got up and went to bed.

**A/N:**

**What ho… a new chapter!**

**First of all, I want to announce the following changes to established canon. The characters Ernie McMillan, Justin-Finch-Fletchly, Megan Jones, and Wayne Hopkins will not appear in this fic. The Hufflepuffs now occupy a tower somewhere roughly the opposite of Gryffindor tower. Astoria Greengrass has swapped with her sister and attends Hogwarts in the same year as Harry and Hermione.**

**The moment with the cow was due to the fact I had been watching an old episode of Thomas the Tank Engine whilst writing that part, and so I gave the cow a speaking part! Who didn't laugh when they read the cow's emotions?**

**I'd like to announce that the poll that has been running on my homepage for some time is now closed. Despite the fact that the votes for Astoria Greengrass were lost, Ariana Dumbledore still won. The votes are as follows:**

**Ariana Dumbledore – 18**

**Astoria Greengrass – 16**

**Griphook – 3 WHO VOTED FOR GRIPHOOOK? If you did, then please let me know!**

**Shameless Plug of the Month: **The Strange Disappearance of SallyAnne Perks **by **Paimpont**. A most mysterious read and one that has me gripped!**

**This will be the final chapter for this for some time, as I have some other fics I want to work on. The next chapter should be The Final Battle Took A Little Detour. What? A hint? Oh very well… Harry solves the Middle East peace process in less then a day.**

**That's all for this chapter for now. You will find out about Project Birthday Cake by next month.**

**Regards,**

**Pixel**


	4. BumpsADaisy

**Bumps-A-Daisy**

Lessons went smoothly for Harry and Hermione, but they faced a lot of teasing and cruel jokes from the Slytherins – Malfoy mainly - and also Ron Weasley. Professor Snape, who was the head of house for the Slytherins, refused to do anything about Malfoy or the Slytherins. Harry and Hermione did start talking to a girl called Astoria Greengrass. She would pass on information to the pair when she heard Malfoy plotting something. Apart from her, the only friends that Harry and Hermione had were Susan and Hannah. They understood the pair's directness and sometimes rudeness towards them, and Harry and Hermione tried to become friendlier towards people. One good result of their lives together was the fact they could get rid of Ron by simply looking at him for five minutes – without blinking!

"I hate Snape" Harry said quietly.

"Why?" asked Hermione.

"You know that he made me stay after class?" and Hermione nodded, "Well he started going on about how I should be more respectful while in Potions. Then he started pushing me around into the desks" Harry finished talking.

"That's bullying" said Hermione with a frown. "You should go and see Professor Sprout about it" and Harry agreed. He went to see his head of house and told her exactly what had happened to him after Potions. Sprout promised to talk to Snape and hear his side of the story.

# # # # #

Later that evening at dinner, Harry was summoned to see Dumbledore and he went to see the Headmaster along with Hermione. Everywhere one of them went, the other was sure to follow alongside.

"I did request to see Mr Potter alone" said Dumbledore when the pair arrived. "Miss Granger, you are not needed here. You may go and have dinner with your housemates" when she hesitated, Dumbledore placed her in detention for a week forced her to leave. "Now that we are alone, Harry, I wish to talk to you about the subject you brought up with Professor Sprout this morning" and the man's eye twinkled.

"Yes" replied Harry. "The man was rude to me, insulted me and then physically assaulted me" he added.

"I am sure you are making a mountain out of a molehill, Harry" said Dumbledore. "I have spoken to Professor Snape about this matter, and he assures me that nothing of the sort took place at all" and Harry became annoyed.

"I have the bruises to prove it" and he rolled up his sleeve to show the large purple mark on his right forearm.

"You may well have done that in order to get Professor Snape into trouble. This is a serious offence, Harry. You will serve detention every night for the next week. You will start tonight" and then Dumbledore kept Harry in his office for the rest of the hour. When he was let go, Harry went down to the great hall to find that dinner was over. He went back to the common room, and he found Hermione and took her aside.

"He gave me a week of detentions every night" he told her.

"And in doing so made you miss dinner" Hermione said. "I tried to bring you something, but I was tripped by something or someone. Snape took a hundred points off Hufflepuff for what happened. When I got up, I saw Malfoy grinning at me. I think he did something" and Harry was forced to agree. The pair got their bags and started writing their homework which was due for the following morning in Transfiguration. After they had finished, they put their bags away in their trunks, took some time to move a few things around, and then went back down to speak to Hannah and Susan. Both girls knew that Harry and Hermione would do their homework first and then talk to them. It was hard to get used to, but both of them understood they had little in social skills – even after some time spent at Hogwarts.

"What did Dumbledore want with you, Harry?" asked Susan.

"He said that Snape had not done anything towards me, called me a liar and gave me detention for a week" Harry replied.

"And made you miss dinner again" Hannah noted.

"Not the first time he has done that" Hermione was thoughtful for a moment. "Do you think he is trying to make you do what he wants by making you hungry all the time?" she asked her friend.

"Perhaps" said Harry. "Maybe we should start a record of every time Dumbledore gives either or both of us punishments" he added. Hermione agreed, and she started a list there and then of everything that had happened so far to them. They talked amongst themselves for a while until Harry and Hermione decided to go to bed.

# # # # #

Just as Harry was sitting for breakfast, Harry and Hermione were summoned to Dumbledore. He repeatedly asked them to change to Gryffindor, and the pair refused every order.

"I could expel you for not doing what I say" the headmaster said. He was angry that the pair had not done as he had asked, but then remembered that First Year Hufflepuffs had flying lessons that afternoon.

"That is your choice, sir. If you try any physical action to myself or Hermione, then we'll quit the school and go to that French one" Harry said.

"Now if you don't mind, we have much better things to do with our time then talk to a demented old man" and with that, the pair got up and walked out the office and down the stairs.

# # # # #

The encounter was recorded and then they went to Potions in the company of Hannah and Susan. The lesson passed very well if you didn't count the points that Snape was taking away from Hufflepuff for Harry and Hermione's apparently sub-standard work. After Potions, it was time for an hour of History of Magic before having lunch. As they had not eaten at breakfast, Harry and Hermione ate the pasties, sandwiches and other food set out like hungry wolves. Susan had poured them out some Pumpkin Juice, but then remembered that both of them were allergic to it and so gave them pure orange juice instead. They trooped out to the grounds and went to the old courtyard where a woman with a hawkish look about her waited for them. In two rows on either side of her, lay brooms which they would be using them.

"My name is Madam Hooch. I am your flying instructor for one hour a week. There is no spell that you need to use, so simply stand next to a broom and wait until I tell you what to do" Hooch moved to one side and the students – a mixture of both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw First Years – went to the brooms and stood by them.

"I wonder what happens" whispered Hermione.

"No idea, Mione" replied Harry in the same hushed tone.

"When I tell you to, I want you to raise your arm over the broom and say 'up'. It is most important that you say this clearly or the charms will not work" Hooch said. A moment later, and she gave permission for the students to attempt to get their brooms up. Harry and Hermione's whipped up almost before they had finished speaking. After telling them about the basic principals of broomstick flight, Hooch allowed them to ground round the courtyard in a lazy loop at a height of two or three feet, and the pair did so side by side. But as they turned round to come down the far side, Harry's broom suddenly picked up speed and rocketed into the air.

"HARRY!" shouted Hermione. Everyone had stopped moving to watch the spot that was Harry getting smaller as he went away from them.

"Get down this instant!" Hooch called after him. If he had been close enough to hear her, Harry would have replied that he wasn't flying his broom.

#

Harry felt the broom pick up speed before heading up to the sky, and he heard Hermione's scream far below him. The broom was going faster and faster as it twisted and turned around the grounds. He passed over the heads of students having lessons outside who stopped to look at his passing over them.

'_Warning, this broom has surpassed maximum speed limits. Please reduce your speed at once'_

"How do I do that?" Harry asked the cold mechanical voice of the broom. In reply, there was an awful splitting sound as the broom continued to gain speed, and Harry looked back and saw the bottom of the broom beginning to crack. Indeed, small chunks had already began spinning down to the ground.

'_Warning – Structural integrity of this broom has been compromised. Ten seconds to structural failure'_.

"Turn off! Stop! Cease! Finish! Finite! Halt!" Harry shouted, but nothing worked out at all for Harry.

'_Warning – Structural integrity has been compromised. Structural break up now in progress'_ and to Harry's horror, the broom broke up into many pieces and he was thrown high up before his body obeyed the gravitational constant and plummeted down to the ground. In the few seconds he had left, he said goodbye to Hermione and thanked her for being his friend. The ground came up to meet him and he hit the deck at around 90MPH. he hit with such force, that he kept going for several inches and Harry felt nearly every bone in his body break from the impact damage. Blood poured from deep wounds, and already he felt very light headed.

"Bugger" and then all he knew was blackness

**A/N:**

**Bit of a short chapter this, but there is a reason for this. In three days time, it will be my birthday (my 22****nd****) and so I want a nice big chapter of something so that we can celebrate!**

**If anyone wants a good laugh, then look at the last review for Leaving Home. I have now got the honour of melting someone's mind!**

**Shameless Plug of the Month: the following fics are all worthy of being plugged: I'm Not Going, Leaving Home, Leaving Hogwarts, Harry Potter True Friends, A Year Without Harry, An Abnormal Prison Report, Goodbye Old Friend, The Deepest Friendship and The Great Road Trip all by an author called Pixel and Stephanie Forever. He/she/they are an author whose works I respect a great deal, but for some reason he does not get many reviews. Please let he/she/them know I sent you their way please!**

**Regards,**

**Pixel**


	5. The Turning of Events

**The Turning of Events**

Hermione managed to see Harry hit the ground at speed, and she grabbed hold of her broom and flew over to him while hoping he wasn't dead or anything. She found Harry face up and she knelt down and held his head in her lap. Harry didn't respond as Hermione let the tears flow down her face as Hooch came skimming over the grounds to look at Harry.

"I'm no Healer" she said, "But he is in a very bad way. I will send a message to Madam Pomfrey to get here quickly" and Hooch did something with her wand and a large hawk flew out and soared towards the school.

"Please don't die… Please don't die… Please don't die…" Hermione sobbed. She rocked back and forth with his head still in her lap as medical help arrived in the shape of a middle aged woman with a nurse's uniform on.

"I'm Madam Pomfrey" said the woman, "I'm the school nurse here. What happened to this boy?" she asked as she started casting charms. As Hermione was still talking to Harry, Hooch explained what had happened, and the speed at which Harry had impacted the ground.

"He's lucky to be alive as it is" Hooch finished.

"That status might need revising in a little while" Pomfrey said. "I had better get Mr Potter to the Hospital Wing and start to save him… if I can" and she conjured up a stretcher which floated Harry away in front of her.

"I'll take you to Gryffindor Tower and fetch Professor McGonagall to speak with you" Hooch said. Hermione dried her tears a great deal and said no.

"I want to see Harry" she sniffed.

"Mr Potter is undergoing surgery. There is nothing that I or yourself can do to help" Hooch said.

"But I need to be near in case…" Hermione didn't finish the sentence.

"Well let us get inside" Hooch said, and the pair returned to the rest of the class before they all headed in to the castle. Halfway to the Hospital Wing, McGonagall met them with a mixed expression on her face. "Something the matter, Minerva?" asked Hooch.

"I just spoke to Poppy" said the Deputy Headmistress. "She's doing all she can, but Mr Potter isn't expected to see the night" and Hermione started wailing in grief.

"I want to see him" she demanded.

"I'm afraid that isn't possible" McGonagall said. "Mr Pott… Harry is in a very bad way. I'm sure that he wouldn't want you to see what he looks like. He wouldn't want you to get even more upset" she added.

"I want to see him now" Hermione stamped her foot. "Now, now, now, now, now!" and as she shouted, the castle trembled with deep rooted tremors.

"I will take you to the doors of the Hospital Wing" McGonagall conceded. "Can you get the rest of the staff together and let them know what has happened please?" and Hooch nodded as McGonagall and Hermione set off. Hermione kept sniffing the whole way to the Hospital Wing doors where Hermione waited outside whilst the Professor went inside. It was a full ten minutes before the doors opened and both McGonagall and Pomfrey came out to speak to Hermione.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Granger" Pomfrey said. "Mr Potter isn't going to live for much longer" and this set off Hermione into another period of crying. The two older witches let her get on with it whilst they talked about arrangements for Harry after he died. They didn't notice a small girl pass by them and slip through the doors.

#

Hermione saw Harry's battered body under the covers of a hospital bed, and she bit back a sob as she went over to him. He looked as if he was asleep if one didn't count the various odd devices spinning and whirling around his body.

"Oh please get better" said Hermione desperately. "I can't live without my best friend can I?" she asked. She stood over Harry and kept changing her attention between Harry and the devices for so long, that she didn't notice McGonagall and Pomfrey watching her. What seemed like hours later, Dumbledore came in and told Hermione that she had to leave the Hospital Wing or else she would have detention the following day.

"I advise you to do so" McGonagall said.

"Stuff your detention" Hermione said without taking her gaze away from Harry. '_Please wake up, please wake up, please wake up_' she said in her mind.

"I must insist" and Dumbledore placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder and began to propel her towards the doors.

"I want to be with Harry!" Hermione insisted as she struggled.

"Please do not make us magically restrain you" McGonagall said.

"If you touch one hair on Mione's head. If you hurt her in any way, shape or form, then you will answer to me. Hurt Mione, and you will regret it" said a low and faint voice from behind all four of them. They turned to see Harry on his feet, wobbling with the pain, but on his feet and with his wand up and pointing at them.

"HARRY!" Hermione yelled. She twisted free of Dumbledore's grip and ran over to Harry and hugged him tightly.

"Not so hard, Mione" Harry said weakly. "I've just got out of bed" and then he looked at Dumbledore. "I would like to know what happened. All I know myself, is that the broom I was on took off on its own, gained height and then slammed into the ground after coming apart" and he started feeling weak so he lowered his wand and sat on the bed.

"I have ordered an investigation into what has happened to you, Mr Potter" Dumbledore said as Pomfrey examined Harry in disbelief. "However it seems as if the pieces of the broom have been removed from the scene of the accident. I find it very convienient" he added.

"Very" said Harry. Dumbledore attempted to get more information out of Harry, and then ordered Harry to be taken to a place called St Mungos.

"Harry is too ill to be moved" Hermione said.

"But I want him to be moved. Mr Potter is a child, and as such he must do what I, as Headmaster, tell him to do" Dumbledore turned on the charm offensive. There was a silence in the Hospital Wing until it was broken by Harry.

"Hermione? I want you to go to Susan and get her to tell her Aunt that I am in danger of being taken from Hogwarts against my will. Let her know that it could be very soon" and Hermione nodded and was halfway to the doors when Dumbledore suddenly decided that perhaps it was better for Harry not to be moved around by magical means on account of his accident. Pomfrey was all for that as she wanted to know how in the name of hell Harry had survived with the massive amounts of brain damage he had had. From her scans, the witch had found none of it present in Harry's brain, but Harry was still in a bad way so he needed bed rest for at least a few days.

"Now I want all of you out of here" said Pomfrey. "Mr Potter is in need of bed rest. Only family is allowed to visit for now" and Dumbledore and McGonagall nodded and left the Hospital Wing. "That includes you, Miss Granger" added the medi-witch.

"She stays" Harry said from the bed.

"Miss Granger is not a member of your family. In years to come that maybe so, but for now she is not. I must ask her to leave" but Harry refused Pomfrey's request.

"Hermione is the only family I have" he said. "I have no-one else" and after a moment, Pomfrey allowed Hermione to remain as long as she didn't get in her way.

#

"How's Harry?" asked Susan when Hermione got to the Hufflepuff common room.

"Well that nurse here said that Harry was going to die. And then... he got better" Hermione said.

"He got better?" Hannah was surprised.

"Yes. He has to stay in the Hospital Wing for a while, but when he comes out, he has to stay here for another day or two to build up his strength" Hermione filled them in about everything that had happened. She included the part where Dumbledore attempted to have Harry moved away from Hogwarts.

"I don't like this man" said Susan.

"Neither do I" remarked Hermione dryly. "All he wants to do is to have control over Harry. I wouldn't be surprised if he actually manages to do this somehow" she added.

#

Harry was released to the comfort of Hufflepuff several days later, and Hermione helped him to walk the distance from the Hospital Wing. They sat by the fireplace which was empty with it being the day, and the pair talked and read books. Because he had spent some time away from classes, Harry had to catch up with missing homework which Hermione did her best to help him with. Hermione sometimes went away to do her lessons, but brought back work for Harry to do later on.

"Can I ask you something?" Hermione asked Harry.

"Of course" he replied.

"When you was in the Hospital Wing, you said I was your family. Did you really mean that?" Hermione asked him.

"Of course I did" Harry replied. "We're the bestest of best friends after what we did. I suppose we are like family" and Hermione smiled and squeezed Harry's hand. "But I think we should be ready to leave here. Dumbledore will not be very happy about me standing up for you and myself" and his friend agreed.

"We will have to be very careful in what we do" she said. They sat together and kept reading well into the night, and their friends thought that they might as well live in a house made out of books. Both of them spent a lot of time in the library, and they always did their homework before doing anything sociable.

#

It was the following week when Harry was able to resume lessons, and he handed in his homework where it had been handed out. Snape had snatched his work from him, glanced at it and then took 50 points from Hufflepuff because Harry had quite clearly copied off Hermione's work. When Harry had attempted to assure him that he had done the work himself, Snape had deducted another 30 points and then put Harry in detention. During break, Haryr and Hermione went to see Professor Sprout about what had happened. Their Head of House promised to look into the matter, but told them later on that Snape had proved Harry had been cheating on his homework. Hermione was placed into detention for willingly allowing Harry to copy off her.

"I dont believe it" Harry said as he and Hermione walked down to Transfiguration.

"It seems as if nearly all the teachers here are hating us" she agreed. "I wonder if Dumbledore is attempting to make you accept him as your magical guardian" and Harry could only think about that. Both of them had read from the book that Susan had told them about, and had discovered that if a magical child had no parents, living reletives or other people alive so as to care for them, then a suitable magical guardian would be appointed by the Chief Warlock to care for the child or children. As Dumbledore currently held that post, it was clear to see that he was abusing his power. Further evidence of this was proven when they ate dinner that evening and saw the evening edition of the _Prophet_.

_**Albus Dumbledore Appointed As Magical Guardian To Boy-Who-Lived**_

_It was revealed this afternoon that Albus Dumbledore was appointed as the magical guardian to Harry Potter – the Boy-Who-Lived. When questioned about the appointment, Mr Dumbledore said that he was delighted to be appointed to the position and that he was going to ensure that Mr Potter lacked for nothing._

'_I am very pleased at the great deal of trust that has been given to me. It is my hope that Mr Potter would serve me as an apprentice for the foreseeable future. While he grows up, I will look after the estate and monies left to him by his late parents. Already I have made several large investments..._

The article went on, but Harry folded the paper up and slammed it onto the table in front of him. It was not the fact that he had been all but ordered to serve Dumbledore and do whatever he wanted, but the man had seemingly attempted to hide the fact that Harry had been left a great deal of money.

"Are you alright?" asked Hermione quietly.

"Yeah... I'm just so angry" Harry replied. He looked up to the staff table where Dumbldore looked at him with a delighted smile upon his face. "I'm finished with this" and he got up and walked away from the great hall.

"ONE MOMENT, MR POTTER" Dumbledore's voice echoed through the hall. "I WANT TO HAVE A FEW WORDS FROM YOU" and Harry sighed and then turned around and walked up to the top table.

"Yes, sir?" Harry said politely.

"I assume that you have read the papers?" asked the headmaster, and Harry nodded silently. "Well you will see that I am now your magical guardian. I am responcible for your upbringing, as I have been for years. I have decided that you need to be transfered to Gryffindor at once. I fear your education is being kept at a low level while you stay with the Hufflepuffs" and Harry thought for a moment.

"If you were supposed to look after my care after my parents were killed, then why did you not do something about the Dursleys when they beat me nearly to death? Why did you not attempt to find out how I was doing?" Harry's face was one of stone while he looked at Dumbledore with eyes of fire.

"I was not aware of your circumstances" the man replied.

"But you must have been" Harry countered. "After all, you looked after me for years..." and then Harry turned his back on Dumbledore and the rest of the teaching staff and walked away.

"Stay where you are" Dumbledore called. Harry heard him fine enough, but he kept on going until Dumebldore cast a spell which caused him to float into the air and then go backwards. "Detention for you, Mr Potter. And 100 points from Hufflepuff for your disrespect" and then Harry turned round in the invisible force that was pulling him to the top table.

"Let me go" Harry said quietly.

"I can not do that, Harry, until you agree to do as I tell you" Dumbledore said as if he was talking to to a small child.

"I was not asking you, I was telling you" Harry said. With a frown on his face, Harry fell to the floor in a small heap. Hermione rushed over to him and helped up Harry to stand up.

"Are you alright?" she asked him.

"Just about" said Harry as he dusted himself off. "I was thinking that enough was enough – I'm going" and Harry saw that Hermione was in full agreement.

"Who needs this stupid world anyway? It would have been nice to have learnt how to do spells and all that, but as long as we have each other – who needs magic?" and Hermione's statement emitted gasps from the purebloods who couldn't grasp a life without magic. They had all wondered how muggles managed to exist without it. Asking a witch or wizard to give up magic was like asking one of them to cut off one of thier own arms or legs.

#

"They will be here soon" Hermione said as she came down the stairs from the girl's dorm.

"I was thinking that we should go to that funny bank and get some money" Harry reasoned.

"We should see if they can change it to normal money" Hermione said, and Harry nodded as he picked up his trunk and pulled it behind him as Hermione did the same. People had gathered both inside and outside the Hufflepuff common room to watch the pair leave Hogwarts. They managed to get through the crowds to the front doors where Dumbledore and the teachers stood waiting for them.

"If you go through those doors" Dumbledore said, "Then you can never return to Hogwarts. I will make sure of that sop long as I am Headmaster" and Harry looked at Hermione before both turned to look pointedly at the staff.

"Please do not leave the school" begged Sprout. "Why throw away your educations? I am sure that something can be done to solve your issues" and Hermione gazed at their Head of House.

"But we have told you on numerous occasions about the bullying that has happened to both of us. People from Slytherin seem to think it great fun to attack Harry in particuler, and they call me a mudblood. It wasn't until Susan Bones told me about the meaning that I got the insult. Solve our issues? Punish those who attack us, or we will take matters into out own hands" and Harry simply said the he agreed with everything that his friend had said.

"We might be able to undertake some of that" McGonagall said. "But we can not do this overnight. You have to give us a period to investigate what happens and then to make changes where they need to be made" but Snape simply snorted.

"The brat is clearly an attention seeker" he said greasily. "He wants nothing more then to have the world put at his feet. He is just like his father" and before anyone could say anything, Hermione brought her wand to bear on the potions master.

"NEVER INSULT HARRY!" she yelled, and the small magical outburst made him fly down the hall in a tumbling mess of limbs and robes. Snape got to his feet quickly and sent a number of curses at the girl who had no time at all to dodge them.

"MIONE!" Harry shouted in distress. He took his wand out and leveled it at the staff members. "That is it – we are leaving" and with one arm he gently got Hermione to her feet, stuck the trunks together and started to walk out the castle with Hermione in front of him. "If you attempt to hurt me or Hermione anymore, then I promise that you will regret it" and they managed to get down to the little boats where he loaded the trunks, Hermione and himself into it. It set off all the way back to the little train station where only a few people worked. Once they had managed to get out of the boat, the pair set off towards the village which Harry assumed was of the same name as the station.

"I dont think that cream is working much, Harry" Hermione moaned. The curses had caused Harry to look into the trunks during the ride on the boat and he had found the medicenes that they had kept all the way from their time in the tent when they had lived alone. He had found a small jar which had claimed that it eased the pain of all boils, spots and other facial curses. It had helped at first, but it seemed as if the effect was wearing off quickly from what Hermione said.

"I'll put some more on for you, but we'll have to see one of those fancy doctors in London" Harry said soothingly. He put the cream on which gave Hermione some relief, and then the pair completed the walk into the village. Neither of them knew where to go, but supposed the best place to go would be the pub. They managed to ge in through the door with thier trunks, and Harry sat Hermione down at a table before going to the bar.

"You're a little too young to be in here" said a rosy cheeked woman.

"I'm sorry, but my sister and I need to get London quickly. Can you tell us how to get there please?" Harry asked politly.

"Where in London do you want to go?" asked the woman. Harry wasn't sure really, but decided the the _Leaky Cauldron_ was better then nothing. He said so to the woman, and she nodded before giving Harry two handfuls of a silver powder. "Go to the fireplace, throw this in, say your destination and then jump in" and Harry thanked her and went to Hermione who couldnt believe the instructions either. As Hermione was looking around, they saw Dumbledore and McGonagall coming in the pub.

"GO!" Hermione yelled. The two members of Hogwarts's staff saw them and made towards them. Two quick shouts later, and they had arrived at the _Leaky Cauldron_ and Harry went up to the bar where Tom was serving.

"Hello, you two" he said cheerfully.

"We need a room quickly" Harry said. Tom was not in the habit of giving rooms to children on thier own, but something told him that he should do in this case. He assumed that they had run away from hogwarts and that Dumbledore would come and get them soon.

"Your old room is free" and Harry snatched the keys out of his hand, grabbed Hermione and the trunks and practically flew up the creaking steps to thier old room. Once they where inside, Harry locked the door and then turned his attention to Hermione who had laid herself out on the bed.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he examined Hermione as best as he could.

"It hurts a lot" Hermione whimpered. Harry let her curl up into his lap like she had used to.

"Ah... running away from adults, living together... this is just like the old days" Harry chuckled. He stroked her hair and sung her a lullaby to calm her down, and soon she fell into a calming sleep.

#

When he was sure that she wouldn't wake up, Harry unlocked the door and quietly went downstairs. The fire was burning in the fireplace and it made crackles as it did so. Harry saw Tom behind the bar, and he wondered if he lived there or not.

"You have been causing a lot of trouble" Tom said. "Dumbledore wants you back at Hogwarts by the end of tomorrow" but Harry shook his head.

"Over my dead body" he said firmly. "How do I get hold of some medical help?" Harry asked him.

"You simply send them a floo call" Tom said, but then he remembered that Harry and Hermioen were still new to the magical world. They most likely didnt know how to do it. "I'll call for someone to come and see you in your room" and Harry nodded before going back up the stairs.

#

The knock on the door came several minutes after Harry had returned to the room, and he slid off the end of the bed where he been sitting and went over to open the door.

"I believe you asked for a healer to attend to you?" asked a middle aged woman in a uniform like Pomfrey's. Harry let her in the room and locked the door before answering.

"My friend was hit by a number of curses which have hurt her. Can you treat her?" he asked.

"It will take a little longer to treat her then it would normally do" said the Healer as she passed various devices over Hermione. "You should have gone to your school nurse or brought her to St Mungos" she added.

"That was not an option" Harry said.

"Well all that matters is that we get her to St Mungos" said the Healer she put the things away and then waved her wand while muttering.

"That is also not an option" Harry said. The healer turned to look at him for several long seconds before nodding.

"In that case then, I will give you these potions which your friend must take once a day before dinner. I am also going to give you this pot of cream to put over her boils. The stuff you have been using was long since proven to be of not much use at all" she packed up her equipment and turned to face Harry. "When she wakes up, make sure she has plenty of liquids such as tea to drink" and Harry nodded before something occured to him.

"How much do I owe you?" he asked.

"Three galleons" replied the Healer. "Or at least that would be my normal fee, but you are both children so you do not pay anything at all" but Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of Galleons that he had dropped while packing at Hogwarts.

"Have these" he said, and the Healer took them before leaving the room. Harry locked the door and then gazed at Hermione's sleeping figure. With a few waves of his wand, He levitated two chairs together so that they faced each other. He kicked off his shoes and jumped up into the makeshift bed and kept watch on Hermione. After a while, Harry decided that five minutes sleep wouldnt harm him really, and so he allowed his eyelids to close.

**A/N:**

**Ah - back to a vague timetable!**

**I decided to embark on an epic two day maximum effort to rewrite an ENTIRE chapter from scratch. I hope you like the result. If you spot any errors in either spelling or terminoligy, this is because I used a computer that is not mine and therefore does not contain all the Harry Potter words in the memory bank.**

**I do have some good news though – Destiny is under repair and may be back early next week. If it is not back, then I will write something for one of my smaller HP fics, or I might even get back to actually finishing one of my NON HP fics!**

**Shoutouts go to IloveGeorgeEads and Cateagle who expressed sorrow and worry over Destiny's problems.**

**Regards,**

**Pixel and Stephanie forever**


	6. The Darkest Moments In Life

**The Darkest Moments In Life**

**WARNING – SAD CHAPTER AHEAD. ABANDON HOPE ALL YE THAT ENTER!**

Albus Dumbledore was not in a good mood at all. Harry Potter had escaped his grasp once again, and with him went another chance to get hold of the Potter fortune. He and McGonagall had seen them both go to the _Leaky Cauldron_, but had lost them after getting to the pub in London. A check of where they had been staying before McGonagall had got them had proven useless as well. They couldn't have got very far at all, so the question remained one of 'How?'".

#

Harry was woken by the sounds of Hermione moaning in her sleep, and he stretched out before going to check on his best friend. He tucked the covers up a little bit and then gazed out at the crisp dawn over Diagon Alley. Harry decided to visit the bank and see if they of any places where Harry and Hermione could live. As nice as their bank and see if they can current residence was, Harry didn't really want to stay here forever. Perhaps the goblin they spoke to could buy them a nice house or something. He heard Hermione call out for him, and Harry turned around and went over to his sick friend.

"I don't feel so well" she croaked.

"Well I would expect you to be" Harry said. He helped Hermione to sit up and gave her some refreshing orange juice from the small chilled cupboard he remembered being there the first time they had stayed in their rooms. "If you feel up to it, then we might be able to trundle down to the bank. They might know about some place we can live" and Hermione nodded.

The cream Harry had been given worked wonders on Hermione, and soon the marks from the evil spells faded to nothing. The pair skipped breakfast and went down into Diagon Alley. They had to sneak down there because of the fact that they didn't know if Dumbledore or someone else would try to get them. As they went past a newspaper office, the pair heard and saw that they had become the big talking topic for the day.

**Two Students Run Away From Hogwarts**

_Massive Hunt Launched_

_Questions asked in session about safety_

"I don't think we can stay here" Harry said to Hermione.

"I don't think so either" she replied. "To be honest with you, I think we would be well rid with the magical world" and Harry nodded.

"But lets try all of our options first before doing that" Harry said, and they passed through the doors and up to the first teller they saw.

"Yes?" asked the Goblin.

"We'd like to see Griphook, please" said Hermione.

"Master Griphook does not talk to children. I will have someone else deal with you" replied the Goblin.

"Tell him it's Harry Potter, and that he needs to talk to him on a matter of some importance" Harry said. The Goblin looked at him carefully before getting up and going behind a door to get Griphook. "I wonder where we can…" Harry stopped abruptly as he noted Hermione's disappearance. He quickly looked around the main hall of Gringotts and noticed that Hermione was being carried out the bank by two wizards – one of them black. "STOP THOSE MEN!" shouted loudly. Several people and Goblins looked at where Harry was pointing, but the men slipped out with Hermione over one of their shoulders. Harry ran after them, but by the time he reached Diagon Alley the three of them had vanished. Panic started setting in as he realised that Hermione could have been taken by some very bad people indeed. There was only one thing for it.

He was going back to Hogwarts.

#

"Mr Potter?" Sprout looked at him in surprise. "I admit that I didn't expect to see you so soon after your leaving. Where is Miss Granger?" she asked.

"Hermione was taken by some men" Harry said. "I didn't know what to do, so I decided to come back here" and he filled Sprout in with everything that he had seen.

#

"HARRY!" the sound of Susan's happy voice filled the common room.

"Hello, Susan" Harry said.

"Where is Hermione? Is she in hospital?" asked Hannah. Harry filled them in with latest news, and both girls felt sorry for Harry as they knew she was his first and true friend. They sat with him as he worried and worried and worried over Hermione. Several times the thought of Hermione being hurt made him rush to the toilet and be sick. About an hour after his arrival at the Hufflepuff common room, the door opened and in walked Dumbledore, Sprout and McGonagall.

"I see you have returned to Hogwarts at last, my boy" Dumbledore said. "Now first things first, detention every night until Christmas. Now to other matters, what exactly is the matter? Professor Sprout tells me that your friend has gone missing" and Harry saw his eyes twinkling.

"She hasn't gone missing" he told him, "She was taken by two wizards. One was a tall black wizard wearing red robes" and he saw McGonagall and Sprout shift uneasily.

"The only people who wear red coloured robes are either Aurors or the Wizendgamot members" McGonagall said. "They are much like the muggle police from what I have been told" she added.

"I will do all that I can to find your friend, Mr Potter" Dumbledore said. "In the meantime you will resume your lessons from tomorrow, and start your detention as from tonight" and with that, the three members of staff left the room.

#

Hermione was cold.

Hermione was very cold indeed.

She had been locked up in what appeared to be a prison cell, and she took stock of her surroundings. Her mind could provide no idea as to what had happened to her between the last thing she spoke and her waking up in the cell. The cell itself was totally filthy and smelt of things that Hermione could very well guess at. She had a bed with no pillow but just a single thin blanket – the mattress was straw. The only other thing in the cell was a bucket that she knew very well the purpose of. There was a skylight several feet above the bed, but she couldn't see what was outside of the prison. It was a long time before anyone came to see her, and when they did, the witch simply pointed her wand at Hermione before muttering a spell the girl had never heard of before. It felt like every single one of her nerves had been set on fire, and she screamed and screamed until the witch finished the spell. She looked at the sobbing figure of Hermione before smiling to herself.

"If your friend does not do the Warlock's wishes, then we will have to torture you some more. I am sure some of my male friends would like that very much" and the witch left the room – her hair turning from blonde to pink in the process. Hermione shook and cried from the effects of whatever spell they had been under, and crawled over to her bed and curled into a tiny little ball and cried herself to sleep.

#

"Well I personally hope that Flitwick will give us a…" Hannah stopped as she saw Harry sitting in an arm chair where the girls had left him the night before. Both her and Susan knew that he had not slept or moved from the seat all night. They quietly and firmly got him to go and get a shower and to put on fresh clothes. When he came down again half an hour later, Sprout was waiting for him with a letter.

"For me?" he asked sarcastically, and he told the letter and opened it.

**Potter**

**IF YOU WANT TO SEE YOUR FRIEND AGAIN, THEN YOU WOULD BE DOING THE RIGHT THING BY DOING AS YOU ARE TOLD. WE CAN SEE WHAT YOU ARE DOING EVERYDAY**

**D**

"What is it?" asked Susan. Harry shakily handed her the letter, and both girls read it several times.

"There isn't any choice in the matter" Harry said. "Best be off back to the _Leaky Cauldron_ then hadn't I? The first place to start looking" he added.

"Professor Dumbledore has said he will not do anything to help you. He thinks that your friend has run off again – I tend to believe him" Sprout said a little pompously.

"If this Headteacher does not intend to help find a missing pupil, then here I do not belong. I'm going to find out who did this, and kill them – even if it kills me" and Harry tugged his robes straight and walked out of the common room.

"What's going to happen?" asked Hannah.

"Professor Dumbledore ordered that if Harry leaves again, then spells would be cast to prevent him from ever returning" Sprout said to Hannah. "When he passes through the gates, he will never come back".

"And I think I'm going with him" Susan said quietly.

"And what kind of friend would I be if I let you go alone?" Hannah said.

"You will not leave this school" said Sprout, and then she watched as both girls breathed deeply and then walked past her. "Miss Bones! Your Aunt is the head of the DMLE. What do you think she would say?" asked their head of house. Susan thought briefly about her Aunt.

"Get stuffed" and then joined her best girl friend in running after Harry.

#

"WAIT!" the shrill voice made Harry turn around and see two Hufflepuffs come flying down the grounds on stolen brooms.

"I wasn't aware that Hogwarts had a Thievery Class" Harry said.

"They don't" said Hannah, "But we needed these to get to you quickly. We've decided to come with you in finding Hermione" and Harry looked at the determination of his friends before nodding. Together they walked away from the school, and used the brooms to fly to the village were they managed to 'purloin' some floo powder from the pub again. The first thing they did was to go to the room they had slept in and begin to plot.

"Would you like me to get my Aunt round here?" Susan asked Harry after they had returned from Gringotts.

"What is she?" asked Harry tiredly. "A bloodhound?" and Susan frowned for a moment before explaining.

"She is like the head Auror – magical version of police. She could make every Auror look for Hermione in under half an hour if you asked her to" and Harry suddenly hugged her before writing a letter to Susan's Aunt.

# # # # #

Hermione had almost given up hope by now. The witch and two wizards had come into the cell roughly every half an hour and cast spells on her. Most of them had been spells which made her skin feel like it was burning, and some actually made her bleed from her ears, nose and mouth – as well as cuts inflicted on her. She was trying to hold on for Harry, but she didn't know for how long that would last.

# # # # #

Susan's relative came in less then the predicted time, and she came up to the room where Susan introduced her to Harry. Madam Amelia Bones was a square jawed woman who had natural authority that Harry could tell. She wore official looking robes and also a monocle for some reason or another.

"I wish that we could meet under better circumstances, Mr Potter" she said as they shook hands. "Susan tells me of a difficult situation that you have at the moment" and Harry nodded.

"Hermione was kidnapped yesterday from Gringotts, and my first thought was to return to Hogwarts to seek help. Professor Dumbledore decided that he will not allow anyone to search for her because he thinks Hermione ran away" Harry said to her.

"Well technically you did run away" Madam Bones pointed out.

"That was to escape the punishments that the teachers had given him" said Hannah.

"Susan said that you could find Hermione" Harry said, "And I value Susan's opinion. What exactly can you do?" he asked. Madam Bones thought for a moment before replying.

"First of all I would need a description of the two people that you saw take Miss Granger" she said.

"One of them was a white man, a little tired looking, very bad looking clothes and the other one wore robes" Harry said. "The one wearing robes was black and had a pierced ear" and a angry frown passed over Madam Bones's face.

"What colour were these robes?" she asked.

"Red" and she nearly exploded.

"I have a good idea who the person matching that description is" and she told the trio to follow her. She led them down to the floo and took them all to the Ministry. Harry had never seen so many people going from once place to another – even at Hogwarts. They bypassed a security check station, took a lift and went to Madam Bones's office.

"What are you going to do, Auntie?" asked Susan.

"First of all we need to get someone in here who can tell us what is going on" and she called for an Auror to come to her office. Harry waited – deep in worry for Hermione – until the door opened and in walked a tall black man.

"THAT'S HIM!" Harry jumped out of his seat and pointed at the Auror. "Where is my friend?" he demanded.

"I am afraid that I have no idea as to what you are talking about" said the man.

"Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt – you have been accused of kidnapping a minor" Madam Bones said.

"But I haven't been near any coal" said Shacklebolt.

"YOU KIDNAPPED A CHILD YOU DAMNED FOOL! Bones thundered.

"I have done no such thing" said the Auror, and he turned to walk out the office. He was faced by the wands of Hannah and Susan.

"You are relieved of duty" said Bones. "Now sit in the chair and tell me everything that you did. If you co-operate, then I will do my best to get as light a sentence as I can. I will only do this because of your years of service" and Shacklebolt sat down in the chair to face some questions. "The first question: Why?" she asked him.

"Because I was asked to do it" said the man. He had forgotten that the chair he was sat in had been charmed to always make the user tell the truth.

"By who" asked Harry.

"Professor Albus Percival Wulfrc Brian Dumbledore" replied Shacklebolt, and he felt absolutely sick as he realised he was heading for some serious porridge.

"Where. Did. You. Take. Her?" Harry demanded in one word sentences.

"Azkaban Prison" replied the now former Auror. Hannah and Susan managed to pull Harry back from hitting the man with all his fury.

"What have you done to her?" he demanded.

"We roughed her up a bit" said Shacklebolt. Madam Bones had heard enough because she cast a spell which caused the black man to go unconscious and slump into the seat.

"We must go and get your friend back from that terrible place" said the DMLE head. "You three had better stay here" but Harry shook his head.

"I am going to get her" and Madam Bones saw the sheer look of fury and determination on his features. "Very well" she nodded. "I want you two to go to the Auror squad room and tell them that I want him arrested" she pointed to Shacklebolt, "And also have them arrest Professor Dumbledore" and with that they left the office and went their separate ways.

#

Azkaban Prison loomed out of the darkness, and Harry thought it was very frightening indeed. The air was cold and an evil air hung round the place as he and Madam Bones walked up the long path to the imposing doors of the prison. They strolled in and found several Aurors in a small room off the main entrance.

"Have you got my friend?" Harry asked them.

"I beg your pardon?" said one of them.

"Have you had a small girl brought into here recently?" Madam Bones asked.

"A girl?" said another Auror. "That is very unlikely" she added.

"What about the high security cell?" asked the first one. He seemed to remember something.

"What?" asked Harry quickly. He was begining to be even more worried about Hermione.

"There was someone brought in yesterday. The ones that brought this person in had a signed note from you saying we had not to interfere with them or go to see the prisoner" said the first Auror. He reached into a filing cabinet and pulled out a piece of parchment and showed it to his boss.

"I never did such a note…" Madam Bones said.

"HERMIONE!" Harry shouted loudly. The Madam Bones thought the same thing because she ran out of the door with Harry and the Aurors following her. They went into the deepest, darkest, dankest parts of the prison where they heard voices.

"THIS IS MADAM BONES OF THE DMLE! STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!" and at Bones's shouting, two people came out – one witch and one wizard. "Alistair?" whispered a puzzled director.

"Amelia" said a grizzly old man

"Don't you Amelia me, Moody" Madam Bones was red with rage. "You are under arrest as is your accomplice Mr Shacklebolt" and she looked at the witch stood next to the man. "What is your name?" she demanded.

"Auror Nymphadora Tonks" replied the witch.

"Well you are reli…" Madam Bones stopped and then started again. "Better still, you are dismissed from the service forthwith! Moody – you are dismissed too. Put these two in chains and have them taken to the Ministry holding cells at once" and Harry wasted no more time in flying past the pair and looking into the cell.

"Oh no…" he moaned. Hermione was lying face up on the bed and looking up at the ceiling. When she heard Harry come close to her, she turned her head slightly to look at him with pitiful eyes.

"You came" she breathed out.

"What did they do to you?" Harry said as he hugged her.

"They tortured me" said Hermione sobbing. "They said it was because you wouldn't do what their master said" and Harry hugged her tightly before pulling away.

"We have got to get you to the hospital" he said, but Hermione shook her head.

"They got tired of me trying to resist the curses, so they did one last spell in order to cause me a lot of pain" and Madam Bones asked Hermione what the name of the spell was. "Organ something" she replied, and then hissed through pain that shot through her body.

"What are we waiting for?" asked Harry as he looked between his friend and Madam Bones.

"The curse has no known cure. It eats the internal organs of the victim… and they feel every bit of pain as the curse fulfils itself" replied the older witch. "I suppose that I can get some Healers to take her to St Mungos for pain relief" and she left the room. Hermione waited until she was sure Madam Bones had left before speaking.

"I don't want to wait three months to die Harry. You know you said you would do anything for me?" she asked, and Harry nodded. "Please… kill me" and Harry looked shocked before closing his eyes and nodding slowly.

"There is only one way, isn't there?" he said, and Hermione nodded before giving a weak smile and laugh. "What?" Harry said to her.

"Well I always thought smoking would be the one to kill me" his friend replied. Harry couldn't help but laugh as well before taking his wand out and pointing it at his stricken friend.

"Any last words?" he asked her.

"Only that I want to thank you for looking after me while we lived on our own, and that I was really pleased to be your friend" Hermione said. There was a pause before she nodded at Harry before closing her eyes.

"_Avada Kedavra_" and a bolt of green energy flew from Harry's wand and hit Hermione in the chest. Hermione gasped as the life was taken from her body, and then there was nothing but the silence of the prison cell. Tears started pouring down Harry's face as he felt a small lump in his pocket. He reached into it and pulled out the portkey that Madam Bones had given to Harry after they had arrived at the closest point to Azkaban before taking the little boat to the island. He held it in his hand as he bent down, scooped Hermione's body into his arms and carried her out of the cell and to the doors.

#

Harry would never be sure how the news had travelled, but when he got back to Hogwarts students and staff watched as he walked into the castle, went right to the Hufflepuff boy's dorms, closed the door behind him, went into his four poster, closed the curtains and broke down. He had lost his first and truest friend, and all because of the fact he took a stand against Dumbledore. Dumbledore, along with the members of his group, was sat in the holding cells at the Ministry awaiting trial. As Harry cried his heart out in his bed, he thought about Hermione and where she was now. When he had carried her from the cell, her body had felt like it was little more then paper. Madam Bones had attempted to take Hermione's body from him so an autopsy could be performed, but Harry had left her in no uncertain terms that she would die if she had the procedure carried out. As the boy sobbed into his pillow, the door gently opened and Professor McGonagall came in the dorm. One of the few things that he had taken on board was the fact McGonagall was now the Acting Headmistress of Hogwarts.

"Mr Potter?" she asked quietly as she approached the curtains.

"Go away" Harry called out. McGonagall didn't do so and opened the bed up so she could see Harry. His eyes were red raw from the hour of non stop crying, and she was at a loss for words for a long time.

"I thought you should know that Miss Granger's body was brought to the Hospital Wing. Madam Bones thought you might want to see her before she is put in a coffin" and he eventually stopped crying, sniffed several times, wiped his eyes and nose with tissues before following McGonagall out of the dorm and to the hospital wing – past those Hufflepuffs whom had gathered in the common room. Hannah and Susan were being comforted by some of the older students, but saw Harry's zombie like look. When they got to the hospital wing, Harry nearly lost it as he sat by Hermione's bed and talked gently to her. McGonagall and Pomfrey left him alone as he remained by Hermione's bedside well into the night. They forced him to return to his dorm in order to sleep, but Pomfrey had promised that she wouldn't move Hermione before asking Harry's permission. Under normal circumstances, it would have been the parents they contacted about her death, but they couldn't find them and Harry said he was the closest thing she had to family anyway.

The next morning found him up early and down at the Hospital Wing arranging Hermione's funeral details. He had remembered one night, when they were still living in the tent, when she had spoken to him about what she wanted at her funeral. She had written it all down and gave the list to Harry, and he intended to carry out that directive to the very letter. Pomfrey had done some kind of spell so that Hermione's body didn't start to decay too quickly and had healed all the cuts. Harry washed Hermione's body all over, dressed her in her favourite skirt, blouse and jumper before applying some make up. Hermione had never been one for it, but Harry had borrowed some from one of the older students who had been unable to sleep. When he was done, he brushed her hair into the same bushiness that he had come to love and then kissing Hermione on the forehead and leaving the Hospital Wing because he needed to see McGonagall. She was startled by his request, but agreed all the same and so the date and time was fixed. Harry gave a weak smile when the Acting Headmistress had said that all of Harry's detentions and points deductions had been voided, and that he had a week off before he even thought of starting lessons again. After Dumbledore had been sacked as Headmaster, it was found that Harry could enter Hogwarts when he had walked up the path the previous day.

"How are you coping?" asked Hannah when she saw him upon his return to the Hufflepuff common room.

"I suppose alright, but I miss her so much" Harry let the tears fall down his face unashamedly. "McGonagall said we could do it this evening… I don't want to be mean or anything, but I would really like to be left alone for a while. I need to pack Hermione's things away, and I would rather do that alone. McGonagall gave me… she did something that will let me visit the girls' dorm for a day" and Hannah and Susan nodded before hugging Harry each and then heading to lessons. Harry watched them leave before heading up to the empty dorm to begin the grim task. He quietly and mechanically folded her clothes and put them in her trunk. Harry turned next to Hermione's personal effects, and he picked each one up as if it was the most precious thing in the world – which it was to him. He tenderly put each object into the trunk on top of the clothes, but kept a few items out because he wanted some things to remind him of Hermione. One of the items would remain with Hermione until the end of time.

#

Because it was nearly Christmas the night fell quickly, and Harry dressed warmly and made his way down the various stairs and corridors so that he ended up in the grounds were he saw a few figures gathered round a small bench set up under the large tree which stood a little distance from the lake. On the table lay the tiny snow white coffin of his truest friend Hermione. He walked towards them and was greeted by Professor McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey, Hannah and Susan. Hermione's will – something she had made a few months before Harry and herself knew of the magical world – had been read earlier in the afternoon.

_**The Final Will and Testament of Hermione Jane Granger**_

_I, Hermione Jane Granger, being of sound mind and judgement, do hereby make the following statement as to what I want done with my things after I leave._

_To my friend, Harry James Potter, I leave almost everything that I own. This includes any money I have, books, clothes and any and all items I may have at the time of my death. I would like to thank Harry for the years of friendship we shared whilst we lived together. Any books that are not wanted by Harry are to be given to a library so that others may use them._

_I also make a personal address to him._

_Hi, __Harry. I know you're feeling sad right now, but I want you to listen to me very carefully, okay? First of all... thank you for being my friend. Second, I want you to know that I'm proud of you. How smart you are, how funny, how kind you are. And I know that you are going to grow up to do extraordinary things, I am just sorry that I will not see you grow up to the exceptional man you will be. Last... and I know this is a hard one... try not to be scared. Listen to those around you. They'll be taking care of you from now on. Bye, harry_

_Signed_

_Hermione Jane Granger_

"Would you like to say a few words?" asked McGonagall quietly. Harry nodded and withdrew the parchment with the words he had intended to read.

"We are gathered here today to pay final respects to our honoured dead. But it should be noted that Hermione gave her life in order to protect me. She resisted attempts to torture her, and was killed off by a fatal curse. I couldn't allow her to spend her final months in pain, and so at her request, I ended her life so that she may have passed on in peace. She did not feel this sacrifice a vain or empty one, and we will not debate her profound wisdom at these proceedings. Of my friend, I can only say this: of all the souls I have encountered in my life, her's was the most... human" and Harry finished speaking as Pomfrey handed him a small box filled with a few objects that Harry intended to put in the grave. He went closer to the coffin and saw Hermione lying inside it, looking for all the world as if she was simply sleeping instead of being dead.

"I brought you some stuff" he said through the tears that ran down his face. He reached into the box and pulled out the homework for the following week. "I er… I thought you might like to have something to do while you was up there", and he tucked parchment, quills and ink by Hermione's velvet slipper covered feet before adding a few of her favourite books. He looked down into the box and retrieved the last object that was in it. "I couldn't yet you sleep without him" he whispered and placed Mr Cuddlebug into the coffin, held by one of Hermione's cold hands. With one last look of her peaceful and sleeping figure, he reached up with trembling hands and closed the lid of the coffin, and McGonagall ever-so-slightly flicked her wand and the locks turned to seal the coffin. Another flick made the coffin rise slightly up before shifting and then lowering into the grave that had been dug. Harry took a handful of soil and put it into the grave before the soil was replaced into the hole. The five assembled people stood with heads bowed before the two adults turned and went to the castle leaving Harry in the care of Hannah and Susan. They trusted them enough to get Harry back safe and sound to Hufflepuff tower when he was ready. The pair flanked Harry as he stared at the stone set up to mark Hermione's final resting place. Both of them shared the same thought that it would take Harry a long, long time to get over the death. Just as he was turning to walk back up to the castle, there was a small gust of wind which blew some leaves over the grave as if they were some kind of blanket. Harry smiled before looking up. "I knew you would do that" he whispered, and then he set off to the castle to start the rest of his life.

# # # # #

Every evening, Harry would go down to the lake and attend to Hermione's grave. He could often be found sat cross legged by the stone marker and reading her a book or telling her about the latest news about the school. All Harry had were memories of the life he spent with her, but he cherished them forever. In his fifth year, Harry obtained, at great expense, a Pensieve so that he could keep viewing the memories of all the fun times he had spent with Hermione. His care of her grave continued even after he left Hogwarts by permission of McGonagall who had been confirmed as Headmistress several days after Dumbledore's arrest and subsequent imprisonment along with most of his followers.

While at Hogwarts, he had discovered that he owned several houses, and he choose to live in one in the city of Hull, East Yorkshire. He spent a few months out of the public eye, before coming back and getting appointed as head of the Muggle Relations department after the previous appointee had blown himself up after prodding a car battery with his wand. Harry only kept the job three years before quitting due to stress. He lived alone for a number of years refusing most of the magical world's attempts at contact before answering his old Headmistress's call for him to return to Hogwarts. At first he had been very unhappy coming back to somewhere that had caused him a lot of pain, even if that pain had dulled as time had gone on. He took up the post of DADA teacher which he liked, though some would argue that he only took the job because he would be closer to Hermione.

In the summer of 2006, he married a former Gryffindor by the name of Parvati Patil and they lived together happily for many years afterwards. Parvati had been in the same year as Harry had been, and knew of the deep loss that he had felt. She also knew that although Harry loved her deeply, Hermione would always be first in his heart.

In his spare time, Harry became a researcher and made several new discoveries in the field of practical charms and spell work. He also invested a great deal of his personal money into backing Susan Abbott when she ran for Minister. Susan had admitted her feelings for Hannah in the spring of their 5th year, and had married her in Holland a few weeks after Harry had started the DADA position. The Ministry had not allowed them to be Blessed, so Harry, Parvati and another friend by the name of Luna Lovegood had gone muggle and hired a ship to take them over to the Netherlands to avoid any Ministry spies.

Harry James Potter died in the year 2137, and he was stubborn to the last – refusing to die until he had watched the final episode of Star Trek ever made. In accordance with Harry's final wishes, he was buried at Hogwarts alongside his beloved Hermione. They each had a separate tombstone, but shared a larger one at the foot of their graves.

_Here Lie Harry Potter and Hermione Granger_

_Separated At An Early Age,_

_Reunited In Death_

_They Had The Deepest Friendship_

**A/N:**

**And so ends this story, and I hope you liked the powerful content it contained.**

**This chapter had to undergo several rewrites, and at the part you can guess at, I actually had to leave the computer because I started shaking and crying! The chapter was always planned to be a shocking one, and I wanted to break from tradition and ensure that Hermione would never return in the fics unlike my other HP fics. I believe – from looking around the site by using the Search feature – that I am only the second author to have written a fic were Hermione was getting abused by her own parents. Sadly though I can not remember the name of this other fic.**

**References:**

**We have a list of them so without further ado, find me (IN ORDER) the following items;**

**A quote from the ST Voyager episode "Once Upon A Time"**

**A Quote From ST II The Wrath of Kahn**

**A Certain teddy bear**

**The Author's home city (pretty easy this one) **

**Now I know that Tonks is older then is canon, however as author I reserve the right to follow the "J K Rowling Doctrine" and bugger it up per the Deathly Hallows principal. Also, how did Harry use the Killing Curse whilst only a first year? Lets just say that while Harry and Hermione had been living in the tent, they had more then enough time to read the books in the tent's library. Combine that with Harry's powerful magical ability…**

**Oh… for those of you wondering:- Destiny is in surgery as I type and may be back some time next week or the week after that. Work to be completed includes complete strip down to her basic core systems, wiping of all viruses, and then rebuilding her from top to bottom. The good news is that I had her tested with essential hardware only, and the old girl responded rather well. When Destiny returns, expect a rapid increase in chapter updates.**

**Just wanted to say one more thing – please support the works of The Submaruder! **

**Anyway,**

**For the last few months it has been something of a refreshing journey on this story. Ladies, Gentlemen, Boys, Girls and Transgendered Persons, I ask you for the final time in this fanfic to leave a review.**

**Regards**

**Pixel And Stephanie Forever**


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